


Promise Me

by Frostyunicorn300



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: F/M, I Don't Even Know, I have so many ideas that I don't know what to do with them, Oopsy daisy, You know sometimes I wish I could turn my brain off, im writing this while i should be studying for exams, it just happens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-11-07 20:26:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 38,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11066490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostyunicorn300/pseuds/Frostyunicorn300
Summary: Samantha Gordon is Jim Gordon's sister, shes been with Oswald before he was Fish Moony's umbrella boy, before he was the king of Gotham and and she promised they'd always be together, for better or for worse, to have power or to be powerless, she'll always be there, she has to, she promised.





	1. Chapter One

15 year old Sam Gordon left Freshman Art with her friend Ally when she saw a boy with black hair getting picked on, one of the boys had him by his sweater vest. She turned to her friend, "wait here." She left to confront those jocks. "Hey!" They turned around and looked down at the small brunette and started laughing, "fuck off, pipsqueak." They proceeded to torment the poor boy, they slammed him up against the locker, Sam crossed her arms, "I wasn't done talking to you."   
"We're done talking to you."   
Sam chuckled, "listen, we could do this the easy way, or the hard way, its up to you."   
One of the jocks walked up to her and leaned against the locker, "oh yeah? Whats the uh, herd way?" He winked, Sam grabbed his arm and twisted it, bringing him down to his knees. "Let him go, I let your friend go." The jock that was holding the black haired boy dropped him and held his hands up, backing away. Sam let go of his friend and they walked away. She went up to the boy, "you okay?"   
He stood up, slightly limping, Sam smiled and held her hand out, "Hi, I'm Sam Gordon, freshman." The boy took her hand, "Oswald Cobblepot...Junior." He said awkwardly.   
"Hi, Oswald." They shook hands for an uncomfortable amount of time.   
Sam's friend cleared her throat. "Oh, this is Ally." Sam introduced her friend awkwardly.   
Ally waved at Oswald.   
"Would you like to join us for lunch, Oswald?" Sam asked. Oswald felt his face heat up and he nodded.   
"Well come on." They walked to the dining hall. Oswald picked a table while Sam and Ally went up to the cafeteria, Sam got a diet coke, salad and an apple, Ally got a chocolate milk, a cheeseburger and a brownie. They sat down at the table, Oswald had a sandwich. "Do you ever get from up at the cafeteria?" Ally asked, sticking her straw in her chocolate milk. Oswald shook his head, "my mother makes my lunch." Sam smiled, "my mother used to make my lunches, but then she got to busy."   
"What does she do?"   
"Nothing, she just said she got to busy."   
"Oh."   
"What about your mom?"   
"She's full time."   
Ally waved a piece of the burger in Sam's face, she smacked her hand away. "Stop it."  
"Oh come on, eat it."  
"Ew no."   
Oswald looked confused.  
"Sam is vegetarian." Ally promptly told him, he nodded, "then shouldn't you respect her choices and not try to feed her something the doesn't want?"   
Ally opened her mouth to answer but Sam popped a cherry tomato in her mouth, making her yell and spit it out, Sam was sitting there laughing her ass off.   
After lunch Oswald offered to walk the girls to Math, they looked at each other and nodded. They walked on either side of Oswald, Ally was the same height as him but he wasn't very tall to begin with, 1.68m approximately, Sam on the other hand was quite short, at 1.52m, hence her nickname, pipsqueak. Ally and Oswald did look alike in a lot of ways, ink black hair, pale skin and bright blue eyes, the difference was Ally had a heart shaped face, button nose and full lips. Sam was on the opposite, with light brown hair and hazel eyes and light skin.   
They waved goodbye to Oswald and went inside the classroom.   
The three of them became fast friends and spent the year learning all about each other.   
They started to hang out at the pier together on Friday's, like this particular Friday, Sam and Ally were starting their sophomore years and Oswald his senior. Sam rode to the pier on her bike, she got off and took the shopping bag out of the basket and sat down next to her two best friends. "SoBe's." She announced, taking them from the bag, "a strawberry banana for Ally, because your weird. And, Oswald I didn't know what flavour you'd like so I just got us both Nirvana."  
"Nirvana?"  
"Its like, Mango Melon flavour."   
"Oh."   
Sam took off her shoes and put her feet into the water, she leaned back on her elbows and held up her drink, "here's to the last day of summer vacation." She said, taking a big drink. After a few minutes she took her feet out of the water. "God its freezing! The sun is out, the water should not be cold."   
"Welcome to Gotham." Ally said, raising her own drink.   
"Oh speaking of Nirvana." Sam walked over to her bike. She came back with a small wireless radio.  
"Sam! What are you doing?" Ally asked, Sam just shushed her, "In Utero just came out recently." She put the cd in and pressed play, they sat and listened through the entire album three times and then a fourth, watching the sun set over the water. Sam got cold, so Oswald being the gentleman he is, gave her his sweater. She smiled at him and put her head on his shoulder, watching it get dark. 

 

Sam woke up on the first day of school, she wore a pink floyd t-shirt, jeans, converse and put up her brown hair with a scrunchie, she grabbed her jean jacket and backpack, giving her mother quick hug she left. She took her bike to school and chained it up on the rack, she saw Oswald and ran to him. "This is an important year for you." She said as they waited for Ally to get there. "No, really?"   
Sam rolled her eyes at Oswald and waved when she saw Ally. She wore a white t-shirt and overalls.   
Ally put her arms around her friends. "Who do you have first?" She asked Sam.   
"Mr. Baker."   
"Ew."  
"Yeah."   
They stopped first at Sam's locker, she grabbed her sticker covered binder and notebook, she put her backpack inside, kissed her fingers and pressed it up to a picture of David Bowie.   
Ally rolled her eyes. "Dude, come on."   
"What?" 

 

Sam survived Mr. Baker's math class before rushing to Art class. Sam liked Art, she was good, it was something she understood, they were given their first mini assignment of a self-portrait done entirely out of charcoal, so Sam sat in the back with her walkman.   
When she left Art class she wiped her hands on her jeans and panicked at first at what her mum would say, but shrugged it off.   
She had English and Trigonometry with Ally. They sat beside each other in both classes, Trigonometry and Math in general was Ally's cup of tea, Sam on the other had was completely hopeless in Math and always has been. 

They met up with Oswald at lunch, they decided to eat outside today, it was still warm and sunny, Gotham hadn't completely fogged over yet. "I heard they're talking about prom already." Ally said as they sat down. "Prom? Already? Junior or Senior?"  
"Senior."  
"But thats not till May."   
"I know."   
They sat down at the table with Oswald.   
"Are you going to Senior Prom?" Ally asked him, he put his sandwich half down, "probably not."   
"Hey there, Mama's boy. Did your mama make that for you?." Someone said, walking past the group. "Fuck off Craig." Sam said.   
"Screw you Pipsqueak."  
Sam flashed him the finger.   
"You know that Craig could beat you up right?" Ally whispered. Sam raised her eyebrows at Ally, "I'd like to see him try." She said before biting into her veggie burger. 

 

Halloween, Ally wanted to do group costumes.   
"Can't I just wear a witches hat and be done with it?" Sam said from the change room.   
"No."   
Sam came out as the Yellow Power Ranger, "well at least let me be Kimberly."  
"No, you're Trini, I'm Kimberly."   
Sam groaned.   
Oswald came out dressed as the Red Ranger. "I feel ridiculous, I don't even watch the show." Sam tried not to laugh, "out of all the years I've been friends with Ally, I've learned to just go along with whatever she wants, shes not a barrel of laughs when she doesn't get her way."   
They changed back into their day clothes and bought the costumes.   
Ally dragged them to a Halloween party.   
"What did you tell your mom?" Sam yelled to Oswald over the music.   
"I said I was going to be at the library late."   
Sam snorted, "you're such a dork!"   
He smiled at her. Sam heard Mariah Carrey and scrunched her nose, "god I hate this song!"   
Ally came up to them singing along to Someday with a drink in hand.  
"I've lost respect for you." Sam said, in a joking manner of course.   
"Come on! Dance! You two are being sticks in the mud!" She started dancing around them.   
She pulled Sam out of the corner and handed Oswald her drink, she got Sam to dance, kind of.  
At one point during the party the three of them were handed cigarettes. "Uh, we don't smoke." Sam said but the guy just lit her cigarette anyway, "come on, its not so bad."   
Sam stared at the cigarette and shrugged, taking a drag, she coughed a few times but went back to it. Ally gave her cigarette back, Oswald thought he would also give it a try, he coughed until he almost threw up. Sam laughed, and bought a pack from the guy and she went out back with Oswald.   
"If our mothers caught us, we would be so dead." She said, as they passed a cigarette back and forth.   
Christmas came along, they went over to Ally's to watch a couple Christmas movies and exchanged gifts. Oswald got Sam a couple shirts she had yet to own from pink floyd, led zeppelin, the Beatles and a ziggy stardust poster. He got Ally a new Caboodle because she said that hers broke. Sam got Ally the purple, pink, yellow, teal and black windbreaker that she wanted and Oswald a watch. Ally got them both CDs.   
On New Years they had a mini party in Sam's bedroom, which was in the attic.   
"Why is your room in the attic?"  
"Because." When she opened the door Ally snorted, "your room is a mess, like seriously what colour were the walls?"   
Sam shrugged. Her walls were covered in band posters and faces of the bands, movie posters, tapestries and many other things.   
"I don't think I've ever seen this many angles of David Bowies face, and I didn't want too." She flopped down in the bean-bag chair. "So is Jimbo home?" She asked, Sam shook her head. "No."  
"Boo." Ally pouted, Sam sat down on her bed. "You know he's still with Barbara."   
"Even still?"  
Sam nodded.   
Ally reached behind her and pilled up a magazine, "oh! Luke Perry is on the cover!" She said throwing the magazine at Sam, unintentionally hitting her in the face.   
"Dude!" She tossed it back, "I know, I bought it."   
Oswald stood there awkwardly with his hands in his pockets. "I have another chair, its in the closet."   
He pulled it out, "its inflatable."   
"Thats kind of the point." Sam jumped up and turned her tv on, "okay so we can watch The Breakfast Club, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Sixteen Candles, Heathers, Pretty in Pink, Jurassic Park, that one is new, I haven't even untapped it yet. Or Edward Scissorhands." She waved the tape at Ally. "Ally here has a huge crush on Johnny Depp."  
"What? No I don't!"   
"Yes you do! Don't deny it." Sam sighed, "we could always watch Nightmare on Elm Street like we always do."   
Ally nodded, "hey, Ozzie, have you seen this movie?"  
He shook his head, "no, my mother and I don't really do movies."   
Sam shook the tape out of the box and put it in the player. She pressed play and sat on Ally, she made a sort of squawking sound and pushed her off. "Go sit on someone else!" Sam sat on Oswald's lap instead. Oswald blushed and tried to pay attention to the movie.

When the movie was over Sam went under her bed and pulled out a case of Woody's vodka coolers. "Where did you get those?"  
"I got one of Jim's friends to buy them for me."   
She handed one to Oswald and Ally.   
"But what do we do if your mother catches us?" Sam snorted, "she went to a party. She wont be back until like tomorrow hours."   
Sam turned her stereo on and opened a pack of Marlboro's. "Heres to 1994 bitches!"   
By 10 Oswald had to go home, Sam went with him to the door.   
"I had fun." He said, Sam smiled, "me too." From above them they heard Ally, "just kiss you lamewads!"   
Sam gave her the finger but squeaked with surprise when Oswald kissed her cheek and promptly left. She stood there, Ally had to pull her inside.   
Ally slept over that night and just borrowed a pair of Sam's clothes, unfortunately due to height difference Sam's clothes were a little too short. 

For March Break Sam and her mother went to Hawaii for the week. She got a tan and the sun brought out some of the golden highlights in her hair.  
When she came back in April, Oswald seemed nervous and on-edge, he was graduating this year and he couldn't really afford university, Sam tried to distract him from his anxieties.

In May, Oswald and Sam decided to skip prom but Ally went anyway, so the two of them just had a movie night at Sam's house.   
They were watching The Shining when Sam asked, "where does your mother think you go?"  
"I told her that I was hanging out with my friend Sam." He paused, "she thinks your a boy." Sam choked on a popcorn kernel from laughing, "well from this lack of a rack, I might as well be." Oswald smiled, "I wouldn't say a lack of." Sam blushed and nudged Oswald with her shoulder, "thanks dude." She turned back to the movie. 

 

It was here, Oswald's graduation.   
"You nervous?" Sam asked, watching him adjust and readjust his cap.   
"No."   
Sam smiled, "you don't have to lie."   
"Maybe a little. I'm just hoping that after I walk across the stage, that we're still friends."   
Sam snorted and got off the table. "Yeah dude." He looked down at her, "promise?"   
"Pinky promise." She held out her pinky.   
Oswald smiled, and they pinky swore. There was an announcement overhead asking all graduates to the auditorium. "Go get them, Ozzie." He nodded and left the room.


	2. Chapter Two

Sam sat in her apartment finishing a painting that Barbara wanted to hang in her gallery. After Oswald graduated the two stayed close, then after high school Sam went to The New York Academy of Art, she turned part of her passion into becoming a tattoo artist had a pretty successful business going out of her apartment. Being a tattoo artist or an artist in general wasn't a career that her mother had in mind, she wanted her to be more like her brother Jim, a detective, or do something she called 'substantial,' with her life. Sam herself had a sleeve of tattoos, of nothing of particular importance, skulls, flowers, mandalas, the like. She had a few odd ones here and there, on her collarbone, her other arm. 

However the more Jim and Barbara seemed to rekindle what they had in high school the closer Sam and Barbara became, so much so that Sam has a permanent place in her gallery where her art can be bought, so I guess you could say Sam was living a pretty good life.  
Ally walked into the apartment with coffee, she handed one to Sam, and sat down on the couch. "So, what are the plans?"  
"I have a girl coming in for her first tattoo at 2 then Oswald invited me down to Fish Mooney's for a drink."  
Ally sipped her iced coffee and raised her eyebrows.  
"Oh no, its not like that."  
"Dude, you've been friends for how many years?"  
"12 years."  
"Exactly! You cant tell me you haven't felt differently about him."  
Sam scrunched her nose. "I mean no, not really, kind of?" 

Ally sighed and watched her paint, after high school Ally became a substitute trigonometry teacher.  
At around 2pm the girl showed up, she was tall and curvy, Sam smiled and told her to wait in the living room while she finished getting everything sorted. 

She got the girl onto the client chair and scooted her work table and herself closer to her arm. "Now I do charge by the hour, but yours shouldn't take very long." Sam said with a smile she pulled on her gloves and did the stencil, the tattoo was an arrow stretched into a heart. She got to work, Ally kept the girl distracted, she would have kept squirming without it, Sam's phone started ringing. "Shit, Ally could you get it? Just put it on speaker."  
Ally grabbed Sam's phone from her pocket and flipped it open, putting it on speaker. "Go for Sam!" She yelled over the needle.  
"Sammy?"  
Sam rolled her eyes, "hey Jimmy!"  
"Don't call me that."  
"Well don't call me Sammy!"  
"Whats all that noise?"  
"I'm giving a girl a tattoo!"  
"Oh, well listen, I can't make dinner tomorrow night. I'm pretty swamped with the Wayne case."  
"Boo, cross off Jimmy." She mumbled, wiping away extra ink.  
"What was that?"  
"Nothing! Have fun with your murder!"  
Jim hung up. 

 

Sam got ready to go to Fish's, nothing to fancy just a simple black lace dress and low heels, it was still pretty early so the club would be completely empty.  
Fish greeted her at the door. "Samantha, my dear." They exchange a chaste hug. "Hello Miss Mooney, and please, I prefer Sam."  
"Samantha it is."  
Sam held her breath and went inside, she folded her umbrella.  
"I'm just about to teach an employee of mine a lesson about stealing, would you like to join me?"  
Sam nodded, which made Fish smile. "Good, follow me." 

Sam stood under her umbrella beside Oswald and watched Fish as she beat Raoul with a baseball bat.  
"I still care for you deeply." She said, "but I don't believe that you still care for me anymore."  
Raoul started sputtering, "I still care for you."  
"Then where's my money?"  
"I'll get it, I'll get it."  
She hit him again with the bat, and Sam had to be honest, she was enjoying herself, she even cracked a smile.  
Oswald moved the umbrella.  
"Boy!" He moved back to Fish, she gave Butch the bat to hold.  
"Sorry."  
"If you let this hair go frizzy, you will be."  
On of Fish's employees came outside, "ma'am, detective Bullock is here."  
"Keep him warm." She motioned for Sam to follow her inside.  
"Yes ma'am." Butch said.  
The woman gave the bartender their coats and went inside.  
"Harvey." Fish said when they rounded the corner, Sam stopped in her tracks, with Harvey was her older brother Jim.  
"Fish."  
"Where, have, you, been?"  
"Where haven't I been?" They share a quick friendly kiss, "who's the friend?" Fish asks.  
"Detective James Gordon, ma'am."  
"Well aren't you a cool glass of milk."  
Sam snorted, "cool isn't the word I'd use."  
Harvey studied Sam, "Fish, who is this? Got yourself a new girl?"  
"Oh, she's Oswald's little friend."  
Sam went to shake Harvey's hand. "Samantha Gordon, but call me Sam."  
"Gordon?" Harvey pointed to Jim awkwardly, "any relation to-"  
"My older brother."  
Harvey took a step back. "Oh."  
Sam shrugged, "yeah."  
Jim cleared his throat and changed the conversation, turning his attention to Fish.  
"Ma'am, was that screaming we heard back there?"  
"Yes, my boys are watching a scary movie."  
"Really?"  
"No. Actually one of my staff has been stealing money from me, so we're beating his punk ass."  
"Relax junior, Fish gets some leeway, her staff are rough characters, need firm handling."  
"So this isn't a social visit, then?"  
"Unfortunately not. Brass sent me by to talk to you about the Wayne murders."  
"Terrible thing."  
They heard Raoul grunt from outside.  
"Listen junior, if you're worried, go back there and see if anyone wants to press charges, if that's okay with you Fish."  
"Mi casa es su casa." Fish said. Jim went outside.  
Fish lead them to a table and got them a drink, "Samantha, hennessy? Yes?"  
She nodded.  
Harvey gave her his attention. "So what is it that you do?"  
"I'm a painter, and a tattoo artist."  
"Really? So you're not hard headed with a hero complex?"  
Sam shook her head and brought the glass up to her lips, "I prefer the darker side to life." She gave Harvey a wink.  
Jim came back a little while later, Harvey stood up, "oh hey, everything alright back there?"  
Jim nodded, but didn't look pleased.  
"Its always good to see you, Harvey." Fish said, standing up, Sam followed her lead. "It was nice to meet you, Harvey." She turned to Jim, "tell Barbara I said hi, and I have that piece she wanted."  
Harvey and Jim leave. Fish turns back to Sam, "another glass?"  
"That would be wonderful, yes." 

The boys came back inside with a very bloody Raoul.  
Fish turned to Sam, "what do you think my dear, should I get rid of him? Or let him off with a warning."  
Sam looked at Raoul and brought her glass to her lips, "well if he stole from you once, who's to say he won't do it again?"  
Fish smiled at her, "you're absolutely right." She snapped her fingers and they dragged a pleading Raoul away.  
Sam started tapping her foot, groaning she grabbed her purse and stood up. "I hope you don't mind, but I need a cigarette and I don't see any ashtrays."  
Fish gave her a tut, "my dear, you don't have to go outside in the rain, you." She said to an employee, "bring Samantha a bowl of some kind."  
Sam muttered a thank you and lit her cigarette. 

 

She walked Oswald home after last call. "Fish seems to have taken a liking to you."  
"Yeah well, she's your boss, and I like playing the kiss up, if it gets me things."  
Oswald laughed, and fixed the lapel on her coat. He put his hand behind his back and cleared his throat. Sam smiled, "so, even after 12 years you're mother still thinks I'm a boy?"  
"Yes."  
Sam laughed. They reached Gertud's apartment building.  
"I'll see you tomorrow."  
He nodded.  
They met up again in the morning, Oswald picked up a copy of the Gotham Gazette.  
"Hero cops slay Wayne killer." She read over his shoulder. A siren goes off and Oswald turns his attention to the car, "wait here." He told her, Sam smirked, "alright."  
She lit a cigarette and waited.  
Oswald left the car and Sam lit a cigarette for him. "What was that about?"  
"Nothing to concern yourself with." He said with a smile, "shall we?" He offered his arm and they walked.  
They sat down on a bench, "remember when Ally tripped in the dining hall and she got spaghetti all over her new outfit and I had to give her my hoodie?"  
Oswald laughed, "you had a sauce stain all on the inside of it."  
"My mom was so pissed."  
"Weren't you grounded for three days?"  
Sam laughed, "yeah." They exchanged smiles, "this is nice, we need more days to just hang out, it sucks that we're adults, and have jobs, like I'll be 28 in a few months...oh god, 28."  
Oswald laughed.  
"What are you laughing at? You're nearing 30!" 

 

Sam finished a tattoo and called Oswald, but he was busy with job stuff, "boo, cross off Ozzie."  
"Tomorrow, I promise."  
"Okay, tomorrow, coffee."  
"Black right?"  
"Like my soul."  
They laughed.  
"See you tomorrow."  
"Tomorrow."  
"Bye."  
"Bye."  
Sam flipped her phone shut and pressed it to her chin, trying to hide a smile, she bounced on her toes and turned on the stereo, she danced around her apartment to the sound of Stevie Nicks. 

Sam kept calling Oswald but he didn't answer, which worried her, he always answered his phone.  
She called Ally.  
"Hey sexy."  
Sam smiled, "have you heard from Oswald? He's not answering his phone."  
"No, have you tried his mother?"  
Sam let out a high pitched 'ha.' "His mother still thinks I'm a boy, how am I supposed to show up at her apartment, standing at five-foot with tits?"  
"Hm, good point, listen he probably just forgot to put his phone on the charger."  
"Yeah, probably."  
"Listen, you want me to show up with Chinese?"  
"That would be wonderful, thank you."

 

Ally came by with food and a box set of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. "The perfect cure for being stood-up."  
They ate their weight in food and watched the shit out of those movies. 

 

Oswald was missing for over a week and it was making Sam nervous, very nervous, she was barely sleeping, she was running almost strictly on cigarettes and coffee.  
Eventually she had to give her piece to Barbara, when she showed up at the gallery Barbara sighed, "you look like hell."  
Sam smiled.  
"No seriously, when was the last time you slept?"  
"I've just had a lot of appointments." She lied, she handed Barbara the wrapped painting, she unwrapped it and smiled, "its exquisite!"  
"Thank you."  
"So where's your friend?" Barbara asked, hanging the piece up.  
"Uh, teaching."  
"Oh right, she's a math teacher."  
"Trigonometry technically, but shes only a substitute."  
"A substitute? In Gotham? With two high schools?"  
"Sometimes she does grade schools."  
They shared a laugh. Sam's phone went off and she flipped it open. "Hello? Oh yes, I'll see you at 3, okay bye." Sam put on her coat. "I have a client this afternoon and I almost forgot." She gave Barbara a quick hug. "I'll see you later tonight for the gala." 

 

Sam finished the tattoo outline when her doorbell rang. "Yeah!" They opened the door, inside came a heavily tattooed man. "Just have a seat, I'll be with you momentarily."  
She had the name stencilled on his arm under countless others, that she crossed out, names like Sally, Jen, Marsha, Allyson, Lilly, and now there was Jessica. 

She dressed for the gala, and surprisingly had a good time but her mind always seemed to drift back to Oswald, she was worried about him, understandably so, she was just hoping he wasn't laying on the bottom of Gotham river. 

When she got home she showered and sat down on the couch, she flipped her phone open and stared at Oswald's name, she bit her lip and tried to call him again but it went straight to voice mail, she threw her phone in frustration.  
She ran her fingers through her hair, she picked her phone up again and grabbed her phone book.  
"Hello?" A woman with a thick European accent answered.  
"Mrs. Cobblepot?"  
"Yes? Who is this?"  
"I'm Sam, Oswald's friend."  
Gertrud started yelling, Sam tried to calm her down, "yes I am a woman, my what purse? No I do not know where your son is, that's the problem! I'm worried about him, I mean we've been friends for years and he always answers his phone."  
"So you and my Oswald are just friends, yes?"  
"Yes, that's what I've been saying and he hasn't contacted me and by your voice he hasn't been in touch with you, and I can't help but feel like something is wrong." Sam couldn't stop herself from crying.  
"You and my Oswald are friends?" She said again, Sam nodded, "yeah, yeah, we are."  
"Is there anywhere you think he might have gone?"  
"No, if he was still in he city he would have used a payphone or showed up at my house, even his boss, said she hadn't seen him." 

She talked with Gertrud for about an hour before crawling into bed. 

Sam visited the precinct with coffee for Jim. She waited by his desk, coat in hand and tattoos on full display. They came out of Essen's office. Jim stopped when he saw Sam. "Hey."  
"Hey yourself."  
Behind him was Harvey.  
"Hey Harvey." She said with a smile.  
He waved at her, Essen looked confused, "I'm sorry, who are you."  
Sam moved to shake her hand. "Oh, Sam Gordon, Detective Jimmy's sister."  
"Don't call me that."  
"What? Detective? Jimmy? Or both?"  
"Both."  
Sam smirked, "okay, Jimbo."  
Jim groaned, something on his desk caught her eye. "Oo, Robert Danzer killed by a balloon?"  
"Thank you Sam for your visit, but don't you have work to do? With inking?"  
Sam laughed, "yes, I just wanted to bring you coffee. Bye Harvey. Jimmy." She turned and left. 

Sam met up with Barbara for brunch.  
"So, he's not telling you anything?"  
"No, nothing, it worries me."  
Sam sighed, Barbara leaned closer to Sam, "you know him better then anyone, he's your brother."  
"Pain in my ass is more like it," Sam sighed, "if he's not telling you something that means he's ashamed of what he did, my brother has always been an honest man, but then again this city does change people." She picked at the toast on her plate.  
"So, are you still worried about your friend, what was his name?"  
"Ozzie." Sam said with a smile, "and yes I'm worried about him, I mean we go way back since high school." Sam sighed, "I've tried every means of contacting him."  
"File a missing persons."  
"No, I think his mother has that covered."  
Theres a pause.  
"So how's your tattoo business?"  
"Its good, though my most recent client was a rebellious teenager who got a tattoo without her parents permission."  
"What did she get?"  
"A hummingbird in watercolour, right on her hip, I tried getting her to get it somewhere else because her hip was so boney I didn't want it to hurt but, she insisted her hip."  
They spent the rest of brunch talking about casual things, occasionally Sam would tell Barbara another embarrassing story about Jim when they were kids.  
Sam walked into the familiar tattoo parlour where she got her start, a middle aged man stepped out from the back. "Sam!"  
She smiled at him, "hey Ricardo."  
"Back for another?"  
"You know it."  
Sam gave him the tattoo outline, it was rather large and covered almost all of her back, it was deer skull complete with antlers, the antlers were covered in thorns and roses.  
Sam removed her shirt and covered her breasts, she straddled the chair and closed her eyes as Ricardo got to work. She was so used to the needle that it was therapeutic. 

 

Another week went by before Oswald showed up at her door. Sam's first instinct was to hit him. "You!" She kept hitting him. "Where were you?! I've been trying to get a hold of you for weeks! And now you just show up?!"  
He limped heavily into apartment.  
"Oswald, your leg..."  
"Don't worry about it."  
"Don't worry about it? You're leg isn't supposed to twist like that."  
He limped over to her, "I said don't worry about it." She grabbed his hand, "no I will worry about it and you are going to start from the beginning. Now sit down."  
She went into the kitchen and came out with a couple beers, she sat down next to him. "Tell me everything, spare no details."  
And he did, he told her everything.  
"So you ratted on Fish, Falcone tried to have you killed, but you're secretly with Falcone, then my brother was the one to kill you but he didn't."  
Oswald nodded and she continued, "then you killed 3 people  
"4"  
"4, you killed 4 people, now your in the Maroni family and a restaurant manager? But you also work for Falcone."  
"Yes."  
"Oh Jesus, Oswald." She groaned.  
"Oh no, don't try to guilt me on this-"  
"Have you even been over to see your mother?"  
"Well no I-"  
"Go see your mother, yeah, go on, that sweet woman is worried sick about you, she thinks your with some woman or worse, dead."  
"Hold on, have you talked to my mother?"  
"Yes."  
"And she knows your a girl."  
"Yes."  
"But she doesn't see the problem because my mother-"  
"Is a lovely woman now go."  
Oswald sighed and left the apartment.  
"You still owe me coffee." Sam said, Oswald smiled, "then its a date, well not a date-date, I-"  
Sam smiled back, "I know what you mean, now get."


	3. Chapter Three

Sam was in the middle of a tattoo when her phone rang. "Shit." She whispered, "Ally!"  
Ally came out of the bathroom, still brushing her teeth. "Yeah?"  
"Can you answer my phone."  
She went over to Sam's purse and flipped the phone open. "Yeah? Hi Ozzie, yeah no, Sam is here, she's just working." There was a pause, "Balmonte's? Sure I'll make sure she gets there, what time? 7 is perfect." Ally snapped the phone shut. "Who was it?" Sam asked, wiping away some extra ink.  
"You're going on a date tonight?"  
Sam laughed, "with who?"  
"Oswald."  
She smiled, "then its not a date."  
"Yes it is."  
There was a knock on the door. Ally opened it, standing there was a tall woman with mocha skin and pink hair in a pixie style. "Hey sexy ladies." Sam looked over when she finished wrapping her clients tattoo. "Hey gorgeous." Sam said with a smile, Ally skipped over to the woman and gave her a couple kisses.  
They went over and sat on the couch. Sam's client paid Sam and left. She joined them in the living room. "So I see you two are on good terms again."  
Carina nodded. Ally seemed to be acting like a giddy school girl. "Sam has a date tonight." Sam rolled her eyes. "Its not a date."  
"But its with Oswald."  
"Yes, and he's my best friend, its a friend thing, its not a date."  
Carina turned to Ally, "she's in denial."  
"You guys." Sam whined.  
"No no, you've said enough, you need to figure out what to wear."  
"Ally-"  
"Silence."  
They got to work right away, Carina did her makeup, she gave her a plum and rose gold smoky eye, simple foundation coverage, and for the lips a pale pink, her straight hair was now wavy.  
"Okay guys, that's enough." Sam went to stand up.  
"Oh no, no." Ally sat her down again. "You cant go in that." She pointed to her current outfit, baggy black sabbath tee, jeans and slip on shoes.  
"Why not?"  
"Its a date."  
"Ally its not a date."  
Ally bent down to look at Sam seriously. "Sam, this is your first date ever. Ever, besides I can't stand seeing you be a virgin anymore." Sam playfully smacked Ally.  
"No but seriously it's a date, he sounded nervous about asking."  
Sam sighed defeated.  
"Now what to wear?"  
Ally went into Sam's closet. "Do you own any colour?"  
"I have a purple dress."  
"I've seen it, it won't do."  
Sam turned to Carina, "control your girlfriend." She mumbled with a smile. Carina just chuckled.  
"Ah-ha!" Ally came out of the closet with a dress, it was black, short, strappy and covered in sequins.  
"I am not wearing that." Sam said pointing to it.  
"Yes you are, you look good in it, and it'll show off your ink."  
Sam sighed, "why do I even bother arguing?"  
Ally clapped her hands in excitement.  
They gave her black stilettos to wear and a moto jacket.   
Carina drove her to Balmonte's, it was quarter to 7 and Sam sat there. "Nervous?" She asked, Sam shook her head, "no, its just dinner, with a friend."  
Carina smiled, "well get in there."  
Sam smiled back and left the car. 

She saw Oswald and tucked her hair behind her ear shyly, Oswald had never seen her in a dress before, always jeans. She took of her jacket and hung it on the provided coat rack.  
Oswald heard the sound of heels turned around, he smiled at her, "hey, you made it."  
"Wouldn't miss it."  
They hugged, Oswald's hand touched her heavily tattooed shoulder.  
"You seemed to have gathered a collection."  
They sat down at the table. The pair didn't really eat much they just shared a few bottles of wine and an order of tomato bruschetta.  
"How's your mom?" Sam asked.  
"She's good, she was shaken when I came home-"  
"You were gone for weeks Ozzie."  
"I know, so I heard you're building a new exhibit at your friends art gallery."  
"Yes, that's right."  
"Whats it about?"  
"Um, real life, Gotham, I take photographs of something good or something bad and I add my own twist when I paint it."  
They paused.  
"You know Ally called this a date." Sam said, picking up her glass.  
"Really?"  
"Mm-hm."  
Oswald stuttered, "and what would you call it, then?"  
"Dinner, with my best friend."  
Oswald laughed nervously.  
"Ozzie? You alright?"  
"Yes, I am perfectly fine." He smiled and poured them another glass. 

 

They met up again the next day and walked around the nicer parts of Gotham, Sam's phone rang. She answered. "Hello?"  
"Sam, its Barbara."  
"Oh hey Barbara, you okay?"  
"No, major crimes just arrested Jim."  
"What?"  
"They really believed he killed your friend Oswald."  
"Ozzie is standing right beside me, now I-"  
"Can you ask him to go down to the station? Just to show them he's alive."  
"Barbara, you know what that will mean, right?"  
"I know, just, please."  
Sam sighed, "okay, I'll see what I can do."  
"You sound like Jim."  
Sam smiled and hung up.  
"What's going on?" Oswald asked.  
"MCU just arrested my brother because they think you're still dead."  
Oswald buttoned his coat. "How do I look."  
Sam looked up at him. "Very debonair, and very alive." She smirked.  
"Then I think it's time to head down to the station." 

 

When they got there the sun was just going down. Inside they could hear yelling. "Well won't this be a little dramatic."  
Oswald entered the station and Sam had a cigarette.  
He came back out after a few minutes. "How'd it go in there?"  
"They were shocked to say the least, and you're brothers partner, Bullock, is trying to beat him." Sam put a cigarette in his mouth and handed him her lighter.  
"Where shall we go next?" He asked.  
"You still owe me coffee." She said.  
"Coffee it is." 

Sam grabbed a table and he came back with a black coffee and tea.  
"You know, in Ally's opinion we've already been on like 3 dates."  
He smiled, "its just like her to assume."  
"I know, I told her, we're just friends, but she seems to believe that there's something more."  
"But there isn't."  
"I know, that's what I said, and the other night I was going to wear my purple dress, the one I always wear but she picked the other dress, said she was tired of seeing me be a virgin."  
Oswald choked on his tea.  
"Are you okay?"  
"Fine, I'm fine." Oswald's phone beeped, he checked it. "I gotta go to work."  
"Boo."  
"We can pick this up another time."  
"I hate being adults." She got the rest of her coffee in a to-go cup and left. 

Sam put on one of her Nirvana cd's and flopped down in bed.  
She picked up her phone and called Ally.  
"Yeah?" She sounded out of breath.  
"Come over, I need moo-shu vegetables and a friend."  
"Ask Oswald."  
"He's at work."  
"Well I'm...busy?"  
"Is that Sam?" She heard Carina ask, Sam understood why she was busy.  
"Well I'll let you get back to your busy schedule." She hung up the phone and decided to actually make something to eat.  
She sat down on the couch with a stir-fry and turned on the tv.  
She went to call Jim.  
"Hey."  
"Hey, you wanna hang out? Maybe go for dinner?"  
"I can't I'm busy."  
"Boo, you spend like 10 years playing soldier boy, and then you come back to Gotham to play big bad detective. When are you going to make time for your little sister?"  
"Soon, I promise."  
"Yeah, I've heard that before."  
"Sam," he sighed, "we can go see a movie next Tuesday, hows that? My treat."  
"And?"  
"I'll take you out for Chinese after."  
"Deal."  
"Be safe."  
"Will do, detective Jimmy."  
He tried not to laugh and hung up. Sam went back to her episode of Law and Order SVU. 

 

Sam had several appointments the next day, they took 12 hours in total, it was dark out when there was a knock on her door.  
Oswald was standing there damp and he looked tired. Sam examined the cuts on his face. "Shit, what happened there?"  
"Fish."  
"What did she bite your face?"  
Oswald laughed and walked into the apartment. "No, she slapped me."  
Sam joined him on the couch.  
"You have ink on your chin."  
She wiped it away with her shirt sleeve. "Sorry I was swamped today. 12 hours, Oswald, 4 people."  
Sam sighed and tapped her phone in her hand, "we can call the cafe down the street, they make those tuna sandwiches you like."  
Oswald smiled. "That sounds like a great idea."  
Sam ordered a few sandwiches and watched Oswald shrug off his jacket and waistcoat, Sam felt the blood rush to her cheeks and she suppressed a smile, she cleared her throat, "we can...we can watch a movie if you like."  
Oswald rolled up his shirt sleeves, "that would be wonderful."  
Sam nodded and went over to her tv, "horror, thriller or romcom?"  
"You pick."  
Sam nodded and put in The Princess Bride.  
A couple minutes into the movie the delivery boy showed up at the door.  
Sam was half way through her veggie sandwich when she asked, "could you get us a drink? There should be beer in the fridge."  
Oswald stood up, "as you wish." He said with a wink.  
Sam blinked at the empty doorway for a few minutes, Oswald came back with two corona extras.  
He sat back down on the couch, closer to Sam then he was previously.  
They watched the movie in silence, sometimes making silly comments.  
"Mawwaige." She said with a laugh, slightly tipsy from her 5 and a half beers.  
"Mawwiage." Oswald repeated, his voice cracking a little, sending Sam into a full on laughing fit. She nudged Oswald but he grabbed her arm, he pulled her on top of him, her petite frame fit perfectly against his. She tried to pull away but he kissed her, and Sam was to drunk to push him away so she kissed him back, she let out a moan and moved to straddle his hips when they snapped back to reality, she was on the other side of the couch, breathing heavily.  
"I'm sorry." He said, "I don't know what came over me I-" he gathered his things and left the apartment, leaving Sam drunk, alone, confused and slightly turned on.  
She decided she'd call Ally in the morning.  
"So wait, back up, he kissed you?"  
"Yes, and then he left."  
"Sam."  
"Its fine, we had a bit to much to drink and-"  
"See what I mean, he likes you."  
"I don't think it counts when you're drunk Ally."  
"But when people are drunk they're honest." Sam heard shuffling. "I'm coming over."  
"Bring veggie moo-shu?"  
"God, what is it with you and food?"  
"It keeps me happy so I'm not hangry all the time."  
"Fair point."

Later on in the day Sam went to find Oswald and found him in what looked to be a warehouse. The closer she got the more she could hear his voice. "Timothy, I think you're holding back on me."  
Sam got closer, there was a man suspended upside down in the air, Oswald was bent down near his face, Timothy started talking, "okay, I-I might have heard her with Butch."  
"Talking about what? Whom?"  
"Fal-Falcone. She said 'our friend with Falcone.' That's it. She was whispering, please-"  
"She has someone close to Falcone. Of course." Oswald touched Timothy's face. "Thank you. No one can find the body."  
"No."  
"We are at peace after all."  
"No! No, please! No!" He screamed, Oswald almost walked past Sam.  
"So, this is your job." She said, arms crossed, she smiled when she spooked him.  
"Sam! This isn't-it's not-I" he stuttered. Sam laughed, "dude, its okay. It was actually kind of entertaining to watch. So was this a thing for Maroni, Falcone or for yourself?" Sam questioned.  
Oswald smiled, "for me, who else." He looked down at her she tilted her head to get a better look at his face. "If you want you could, be by my side if I do take over, as underboss."  
"No, not if, when, but why me?"  
"Theres no one, besides my mother, that I trust more then you." Oswald smiled at her, "do you promise?"  
She held out her pinky finger.  
"Promise." 

 

She followed Oswald into the apartment building, he picked the lock, Sam stood by the door and waited. Oswald came out of the apartment holding a silk scarf, the sound of heels spooks them both, Sam runs up the stairs and Oswald follows.  
They stop and see Liza go into the apartment. She went into the apartment and they took that opportunity and left. 

The next day they go to Fish Mooney's. "Should we be here? I mean she did try to have you killed."  
Oswald put his hands on her shoulders. "Relax Sam, I know what I'm doing."  
She nodded and followed him in.  
Fish put her pen down. "Oswald, you're back, and you brought your friend, I already forgotten your name."  
Oswald chuckled and went right up to Fish. "I'm starting to think you enjoy being hurt."  
"I was passing by, thought I'd say hello."  
"Well, you said it. Now, why are you here?"  
Oswald's head tilted to the side, "honestly, I'm just trying to be friendly." He goes to sniff her, even Sam finds that odd, she exchanges looks with Butch.  
"Lilacs." He said, "you smell good."  
"You don't."  
Sam found that arguable.  
Oswald laughed, "snappy as ever. Oh." He continued laughing. "Well goodbye then, sorry you're still grumpy with me. But you know, reaching out in friendship is never wrong."  
Oswald turned to leave, putting his arm around Sam's shoulders.  
"Where too now, boss." She giggled.  
"I think we should go pay our friend Liza a visit." He said.  
"Sounds fun."  
They broke into her apartment and waited, she saw them almost immediately and gasped, clearly alarmed. Oswald was sitting on the bench by the bed and Sam was currently rummaging through Liza's stuff. She stood on a chair to look on some of the higher shelves.  
"Sorry for the intrusion, but its urgent I speak with you, you know who I am."  
"Yeah. And Falcone would kill you if he knew you were here." Liza eyed Sam worriedly. She got down from the chair and started rummaging through her vanity.  
"Perhaps, but what would he do if I told him you were spying on him for Fish Mooney?"  
"You don't have any proof."  
"No." Oswald stood up and walked over to Liza.  
"But suspicion, is a funny thing hm? Falcone might not choose to believe me at first, but every time he looked at you, he'd ask himself, 'is she? Could she? Would she?'"  
"You're wrong, he cares about me."  
"Lets call him and find out, shall we?" He takes her phone from her purse and starts dialling Falcones number. He puts the phone up to his ear.  
"Stop!" Liza yelled. Oswald set the phone down and ran his hand down her arm, Liza cringed away.  
"Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell, because you are going to keep working for Fish. And you are not going to tell anyone, or you'll die." Oswald chuckled, Sam found a pair of sapphire diamond earrings she liked, she exchanged them for her safety pin earrings, she tucked them into her jeans.  
"Come, Sam." He left the room, Sam went up to the tall woman. "I'm keeping these." She said and left the room in a graceful manner, arms behind her back.  
Sam skipped down the hallway, feeling a rush of excitement.  
"Sam, slow down." She stopped letting Oswald catch up to her.  
"Sorry."  
"You're excited, excited is good, tomorrow we go see Falcone." Oswald said, he examined the earrings on her ears. "The sapphires bring out your eyes."  
Sam blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear, "thanks."  
"How about a drink?"  
"That would be wonderful thank you."  
They headed to a bar called Hackers,  Sam seemed to frequently visit with Ricardo but he stabbed a guy so he can't come in anymore so she takes Ally and Carina, she enjoyed not having to change from her grunge type of clothing into something fancy but Oswald seemed out of place in his suit. "Hey Tim! Can I get a bottle of Jack and two glasses?" She yelled over the band playing.  
The bartender gave her the bottle. She slipped him the money and carried the bottle in one hand and the glasses in the other.  
"How do you know about this place?" Oswald asked, she poured him a drink.  
"Uh, Ricardo and I used to come here, but he's banned so now I just take Ally and Carina!"  
"Ricardo?"  
"My mentor! I used to work under him at his tattoo parlour, he's the guy that does my ink!"  
"Oh!"  
Sam lit a cigarette. "I'm sorry if its loud! These guys don't know how to play anything lower then deafening!"  
"Who are they anyway?"  
"Paris Uppercut!"  
"Paris what?"  
"I don't know they were probably drunk!"  
Oswald laughed.  
"At least we didn't come on a Tuesday!"  
"Why? What's Tuesday?"  
"Karaoke night! It gets ugly."  
"Have you ever sang Karaoke?"  
"Once! I was super drunk though!"  
"How did go?"  
"I threw up everywhere!"  
This made Oswald laugh louder and he poured them another drink.

By the end of the night Sam was completely shitfaced. Oswald took her home.  
He took off her jean jacket and boots, he even untied he flannel around her waist for her. She stumbled onto the bed, Oswald went to put her under the blanket but she pulled him into bed with her, she put her head on his shoulder and had one leg around his hips.  
"Sam." He whispered, she just moaned and snuggled closer. "You smell good." She mumbled, "have I ever told you that?"  
"No."  
"Well you do." To Sam, he smelled like freshly fallen snow, iced pear, white musk and mint. He also had a faint touch of whiskey from the nights events.  
Oswald sighed and cautiously put his arm around her shoulder. He looked at her, he didn't realize how small she actually was until she was right up against him, since wasn't very tall himself and Ally was his height once but since grown slightly taller. He actually loved how small Sam was but also felt a deep desire to protect her. Oswald sighed contently, he was perfectly fine with this being the only time he gets to hold her, he took in her scent, she smelled like patchouli, lemongrass, and oranges, she just seemed so warm and it was as Oswald felt, uniquely Sam.  
He stayed like this the whole night, ignoring the pain in his knee, he didn't want to move, he didn't want to risk waking her up. 

 

Sam woke up in the late morning feeling awkward about what happened last night, she didn't expect to wake, curled right up to Oswald but she was even more surprised that he stayed, he let her shower and get dressed.  
They made their way to Falcones house, but before they got there they had bags thrown over their heads.  
When the bags were lifted they were sitting at a table, Falcone was at the other side of the room, he began to walk over. Sam felt a pang of nervousness wash over her as he sat down. "How did Maroni know where my money was?" He asked Oswald.  
"Well, thats a very good question, not to criticize, but you could have just called me"  
"I'm going to ask you once more, how did Maroni know where I kept my money? No one knew."  
"The robbery at the armoury, that wasn't Maroni."  
"I thought we were friends. We had an understanding. You tell me every move Maroni makes, what happened? When did you turn on me?"  
"Never, Don Falcone. I swear, never. Maroni had nothing to do with the armoury job. I would know, I would have told you."  
"Who was it if not Maroni? And how did they know about my money?"  
The door opened and Liza walked in with a tray with tea.  
"Thank you, Liza, won't be long."  
"I'll come back." She left.  
"I asked you a question." He said, turning his attention back to Oswald.  
"Oh you have a mole, obviously. Which is not Maroni's forte, is it? This is someone else, someone artful. Someone close to you."  
"I know who you're going to name, but your hatred of Fish makes me doubt anything you say against her."  
"With respect, I don't understand why you still tolerate her existence. She has proved her disloyalty a hundred times, she wants your head."  
"Like half the people who work for me. Fish makes me a lot of money, I can handle Fish Mooney or whatever son of a bitch who did this to me. Tell me how to find the mole."  
"You leave that to me, Don Falcone. Dirty work, I'll find your mole for you, trust me, he'll belong to Fish."  
"Bring me proof." He gave Oswald a slight smack on the face.  
"Before you go, I'd like to have a chat with your woman here."  
"Oh she's not-I mean we're not-I."  
Falcone nodded towards the door. Oswald got up and left.  
"Don Falcone I-"  
"No need to be nervous Samantha."  
"You know my name?"  
"Yes my dear, I was friends with your father."  
"But how do you-"  
"You have his eyes. I met you once you know, you were very small, you wouldn't have remembered me, you had just started teething, so your father brought you to his office to keep you occupied and I happened to visit." He leaned back in his chair. "You're different from your brother, you seem like the person to get with the program quite quickly."  
She smiled awkwardly.  
"How do you stand on Gotham?"  
"Well to me Gotham isn't black and white, its not good and bad, its grey, its both, everything is connected together, and my brother is trying to separate the good and bad and in my opinion that would only insinuate chaos."  
Falcone smiled. "Smart girl. How do you know my friend Cobblepot?"  
"Oh, we met in high school. And we've been friends ever since."  
Falcone smiled and they talked for a little while.  
She met up with Oswald outside.  
"What did you talk about?"  
"Family, my dad, he knew me from when I was a baby."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah."  
Oswald called Gabe to pick them up, Oswald took the passengers seat and Sam stretched out in the back, playing with her necklace.  
"I don't get it." Gabe said.  
"You, Gabe, not get it?" Oswald chuckled. "Quelle suprise. What pray don't you get?"  
"Why not just tell Falcone the truth? It was that Liza girl that betrayed him."  
"Timing, Gabriel. Timing is everything. And Liza, is a time bomb."  
Sam's phone rang. "Hey Jim, yes we're still good for Tuesday unless something comes up. What do you mean I do nothing all day? I'd like to see you spend hours sitting in a chair placing ink in someone else's body. Oh whatever!" She snorted, "so how are things at the ol'precinct? You're still still going on about the Wayne case? Bro, I hate to break it to you but some cases just can't be solved, yes I understand that Mario Pepper was framed but the case was closed, move on." Sam chewed her lip, "no I haven't heard from Barbara, what? She left? Really? Huh." Oswald was staring at her, "is that Jim?" he asked. On the other line Jim seemed confused, "Sam? Who was that? It sounds like Cobblepot."  
Sam tried to shush Oswald, "uh..uh..."  
"Let me talk to Jim."  
"I gotta go, bye! See you Tuesday!" She rushed and flipped the phone shut. 

On Tuesday Jim took her to see Sweeney Todd. "So, Arkham duty huh?" She said as they walked into the Golden Dragon.  
"Yeah, punishment duty."  
He turned to the cashier boy. "Two orders of Moo-shu and rice, one with pork and one without."   
They sat down on a bench outside.  
"I know you're friends with Cobblepot." Jim said.  
"Yeah, I am, have been for almost 13 years."  
"Sam."  
"I know what you're going to say, just don't say it? Okay?"  
Jim nodded.  
"Thank you."


	4. Chapter Four

The ringing of her phone work her up, she flipped the phone open and groaned.  
"Oh I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Oswald asked.  
"Yeah, whats up?"   
"I'm coming to pick you up in 15 minutes."  
"Dude, its early."  
"Sam, its 11am."   
She turned over to her clock. "Oh shit it is."   
He laughed, "15 minutes."  
Sam didn't have time to shower so she put deodorant and perfume in places one normally wouldn't.   
Sam just wore a black t-shirt dress, she didn't feel like pants, she paired it with tights, a baggy jean jacket and chunky suede booties. She heard a knock on the door and opened it, toothbrush still in her mouth.   
Oswald was standing at the door, he raised his eyebrows. "You're still getting ready?"  
"Dude you only gave me 15 minutes." She went over to the sink and finished brushing her teeth. She grabbed her purse and keys. She ushered him away from the door and locked it.   
"Okay lets go." She started walking but stopped, "oh, I have to be back by 5."   
He nodded.  
Sam curled up in the back seat of his car, she saw they were going to the pier. "What are we doing?" Sam asked.   
Oswald didn't answer her, they just parked and got out of the car. The three of them went up to the 5 fishermen who were on this particular part of the pier. "Morning Gentleman, have you considered my proposition?"  
"Uh, yeah, no." The older fisherman said.   
"No?"  
"We already pay enough, Don Maroni set the rates last year."   
"And now I'm raising the prices. Inflation is a bitch." Oswald shrugged.   
"Maroni said-"  
"Maroni, Maroni, you're beginning to irk me. You're talking to me, The Penguin."   
Sam turned around just when a police cruiser pulled up. "Dammit." She whispered.    
"You're a penguin, so what? I called the cops on you."   
"Its The Penguin, and that was a very naïve call to make. Hello, we own the cops on the waterfront."   
"Tell that to the cops buddy."  
Oswald turned around just as the two officers were walking up.   
"Boys, why the frowns?" Oswald asked, the larger officer punched him in the face, Sam let out a squeak of surprise and backed up into Gabe.   
"Hey!" She said, "what makes you think you can do that?" The officer with the moustache turned her around and twisted her arms behind her back. "You can't arrest me, I didn't do nothing."  
"Shuddup."   
They tossed her into the back with Oswald and Gabe.   
When they got to the precinct they were put into holding.   
Sam put her head up against her bar, "out of all the stupid shit I've done as a teenager I was never arrested, like ever." She started pacing, "ohhh this is bad, this is bad."   
Oswald rolled his eyes, "Sam, calm down."   
"My brother is a detective!"  
"Was, was a detective."   
She sighed and backed up from the bars.  
"Sam, come here."   
She went over to Oswald and he kicked Gabe off the bench so she could sit beside him. "Its going to be fine." He said, "you're worrying over nothing."   
Sam pulled his face towards hers to examine the bruise under his eye. "It seems every day you get something new."  
He smiled and wrapped his hand around her wrist, lowering her hand into her lap.   
After an hour Oswald grew impatient and started to pace around.   
"Detective Bullock!" Oswald yelled, Sam looked up and went to stand by the bars.   
He laughed, "Penguin, its good to see you, what are you guys doing?"  
"Old friend, thank goodness you're here. Theres been some silly mistake."  
"Looks like it. Unless you irritated someone important. You didn't do that did you? Sam, did you do something?"  
Sam batted her eyelashes at him, "me? Never. I would do no such thing." She reached through the bars and grabbed his tie, pulling him closer, "but maybe you could let us outta here? And uh, I'll owe you a favour."   
Harvey smiled, "listen, darlin', I'd love to let you out but I gotta wait until someone bails you out." She let go of his tie and wrapped her hand around the bar. "Boo," she pouted and looked up at Harvey. "Sam you're breaking my heart here." He started to walk away.   
"Wait!" Oswald yelled, Harvey turned around. "Don't go, please sir, I beg of you. My patron Don Maroni, is obviously unaware of my predicament. A simple phone call would resolve things, I'm sure."  
"But see I like having you here, I can sit at my desk and look at you, its soothing, like a bonsai tree." He went to walk away again but Sam spoke up, "Harvey, you won't tell Jim about this, will you?"   
Harvey smiled, "how could I say no to a pretty face, I won't tell him."   
"Thank you." She put her hands behind her back and walked to the bench.   
"Whats a bonsai tree?" Gabe asked.  
Sam looked up at him, "really?" He shrugged, "a bonsai tree Gabe, its an ornamental tree or a shrub grown in a pot and is artificially modified so it cant reach normal size."   
They were there all night, Sam missed the appointment. She got tired and curled up on the bench. Oswald sat down on the ground in front of her, he tensed slightly when her arm draped over his shoulder, but he relaxed, cautiously he grabbed her hand, it was slim and soft and her nails were painted a navy blue, he smiled and ran his thumb along the back of her hand.   
"Hey, I can't help but notice the way you act around her." Gabe said, "its almost like you love her."  
"Well of course I do Gabe, we've been friends for 13 years, why wouldn't I?"  
"No I mean, love, love her. Like romantic and stuff."   
"Don't be ridiculous Gabe, I don't date." He said defensively, he looked towards the doors again, Jim showed up, Oswald moved in front of Sam's face to block it from his view, Jim didn't stop to say hi.   
Later on Oswald felt himself get tired, he managed to coax Sam into a sitting position and let her rest her head on his shoulder, soon he felt himself fall asleep.   
"Penguin."   
He woke up and stood up rather fast, making Sam's head rush, she blinked herself awake. Oswald was putting on his jacket, walking over to greet Don Maroni.   
"Sir, Don Maroni, thank heavens you're here."   
"You look kind of frowsy."   
"Forgive me, I've had nothing but a moist towelette since yesterday morning."   
Don Maroni pointed to Sam. "Who's this lovely lady?"   
Sam smiled sweetly at him, "Don Maroni, what an honour, I'm Sam." She reached through the bars to shake his hand, he kissed it instead. "Aren't you a beauty." Sam smiled, and tucked her hair behind her ear, "thank you, sir."   
Maroni turned to Oswald, "is she yours? Are you two?"  
"Oh no, we're just friends."   
"Shame, its rare to find beauty such as this in Gotham, but enough sweet talk, you know why you're in there?"  
"I have no idea-"  
"Rhetorical question. You're in there because I put you in there."  
"But Don Maroni, why? What did I do?"  
"Do you know what hubris is?"   
Oswald looked confused.  
"Do you know?"  
"Sorry, I thought that was another rhetorical question. Yes I do, Hubris is when-"  
"Its when limping little chicken-butt second bananas think they're hot stuff."   
Sam shifted on her feet, it wasn't the exact definition of hubris but he wasn't wrong.   
"Sir-"  
"When dumbass underlings raise taxes without asking me first."  
"Yes sir."  
"On fisherman, you raise taxes on fisherman, they're out there in the freaking ocean risking their lives for us and you raise their taxes without asking me?"   
Sam smiled a little, she wouldn't call fishing a life threatening job, it seemed more relaxing then anything else.  
"That's hubris my friend."  
"I'm sorry, Don Maroni. Deeply sorry, I will never do it again."  
"Alright then." He turned around, "hey you, let my friends out."   
"Excuse me?"  
"What, am I talking Hungarian? Open the cage, mook."   
He hung up the phone and let them out. Maroni and Oswald exchanged a hug, but Maroni pulled back. "Holy mother, you stink." He said. "Let this be a lesson to you, yes?"  
"Yes sir."   
"You're a smart monkey, but you're a monkey. And I'm the zookeeper." He took a good look at the bruise on Oswald's face. "Your alright." He gave Oswald a few pats on the face.   
They followed Maroni out.   
"I should go home." Sam said, "you wanna come with me Ozzie?" She asked. He nodded.   
"I'll give you a ride." Maroni said, smiling at her, she returned the smile.   
Once inside the apartment Sam said Oswald could use the shower first, Sam kept some male toiletries around in case he needed to crash. He left his clothes on the bed and she washed them. Sam was in the kitchen when Oswald walked out in just a towel, Sam squeaked and covered her eyes. "Dude." She whispered. "What? My clothes are in the wash, I didn't want to wait in the bathroom."   
Sam sighed and moved her hand away from her eyes, but she tried to avoid looking at him. "I'd offer something of mine for the time being but, I'm afraid I don't have anything that would fit." She stole a few glances at him, fighting a smile. Surprisingly Oswald was fit, he wasn't muscular or anything but he wasn't scrawny like he appeared.   
Oswald noticed Sam changed into a tank top and pyjama shorts. She was slim, always has been, nothing was large on her body, she was quite small in every aspect. Its not that she didn't have what made her a woman, she was just tiny. Oswald found that he was staring for too long, he blinked and went to sit on the couch.   
When Oswald's clothes were finished Sam went to shower.   
They sat together on the couch, both feeling slightly awkward. Oswalds phone beeps, Sam goes over and removes it from the charger. She opens the message. "Your wanted at Balmonte's." She said, Oswald stood up, she handed him his phone, he smiled at her and left.  
Sam chewed on her lip. Her mind drifted back to Oswald in the towel and she felt heat pool between her legs, a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.   
Ignoring it she called Ally, currently she was covering for a middle school math teacher that went on maternity leave.   
"Yeah?"  
"Oh good you're on break."   
"Whats up? You sound...flustered."  
"Oswald took a shower at my house and now I can't get his bare almost everything out of my mind."   
Ally chuckled. "How do you feel?"  
"Weird."   
"Weird? Bad weird or good weird?"  
"There's a difference?" Sam went out on the balcony.   
"Yes, does he make you feel good or bad?"  
"I don't know a little of both, its hard to explain, one minute I wanna call him dude but the next I want to kiss him. Its weird."   
"I think you're in love." Ally teased.   
Sam sighed, "Ally, please, be serious, the only things I've ever been in love with are music, art the tattoo needle and vegetarian style Chinese food." She unwrapped a new pack of Marlboro's.   
"I never felt physical attraction to anyone before, I don't know what do to."   
"Tell him."  
"No." she mumbled, setting the cigarette down on the ash tray, she curled up in her patio chair.   
"Why not?"  
"I'm not ruining 13 years over some silly crush."   
"Sam-"  
"No, its better if we remain friends."   
Ally sighed, Sam could hear the bell ring.   
"I gotta go." She said.  
"Okay, I'll call you later." Sam flipped her phone shut and held it under her chin, she felt conflicted, she wanted to tell him but she knew she couldn't.   
Oswald came back to her apartment in the evening. He knocked on the door, he heard soft music, shuffling, muffled swearing and the sound of the deadbolt unlocking. Sam stood there with a drink. "Hey...Jesus. What happened to your face?" She let him into the apartment. Sitting in the living room were Ally and Carina, looking cozy with each other.   
"Never mind my face, I got rid of Fish."   
Sam poured him a glass of wine. "Really? How?"  
"I told Falcone about Liza, he believed me after some persuasion, Fish is gone and Liza is dead." Sam smiled. "This is quite the victory for you." She looked over, Ally was mouthing to her to tell him but she mouthed no. Oswald turned to Ally who smiled, then back to Sam who also smiled, he felt like they were keeping something secret from him and he was going to find out what. 

 

Sam met up with Jim for coffee.  
"When was the last time you spoke to mom?"  
"Don't." Sam warned.   
"What? She's sick, Sam."   
"Don't you think I know that? But during my last visit things didn't go so well, she all but disowned me, she still wishes that I turned out like you or followed in dads footsteps. Or did something opposite of my passion."   
"That was 2 years ago Sam."   
"And nothing's changed." Sam walked ahead of Jim.  
"Its terminal." He said. Sam turned around. "What?"   
"She's dying, Sammy."   
"But it was stage 2." Sam insisted. "Mom is fine."   
"She's got less then a year, Sam."   
She shook her head. "No, no shes fine."   
"Sam."   
She started walking away. "Sam!" She heard him yell, but she keeps walking until she reaches her apartment.   
She called Oswald.   
"Sam?"  
"Can you come over? Ally is working, so is Carina, I-" she ran her fingers through her hair. Oswald sighed, "Sam, I'm busy, currently I'm celebrating with Don Maroni about Fish's downfall. But I promise after I'll come over, I'll even bring moo-shu vegetables, how's that?"  
"Your the best Oz, thank you." She hung up.   
She walked into her hall closet and pulled out a large canvas, she set it down on the easel and grabbed her paint.   
The painting was one she had been working on for years, it was a copy of a photograph, of Jim, their mother and Sam, together at a beach down in Florida. And they didn't have a care in the world that day.  
Oswald called her not much after, saying he had to go upstate with Maroni but he said he'd take her out when he got back.   
Sam sighed and got ready for the small swarm of clients she had coming in. There was a knock at the door. She opened it, "Babs! Where have you been?" She rushed to hug the taller woman.   
"I've just been sorting things out, did Jim tell you-"  
"That you left? Yeah."   
"How is he?"  
"Same old Jim." She let Barbara into the apartment.   
She poured Barbara a drink but grabbed a coke for herself.  
"You're not having one?"  
"No, I'm working, I have a 1 o'clock, a 5 o'clock, one for 6:30, then 9."   
"Wow."  
"Yeah."   
Barbara stayed over until the early hours of the morning.   
"Are you sure you're okay to walk home? You can stay here for the night."   
"Oh no, I couldn't-"  
"Yeah, c'mon, you can sleep in my room, I'll take the couch."   
Barbara tried protesting.   
"No, no, I insist."   
Barbara gave in, Sam grabbed the blanket off the couch and curled up. 

 

Sam was hanging upside down on the couch talking to Jim. "So wait, the killer, the same guy who took the other guys adrenal glands tried to kill this lady by drowning her in a pool because she's afraid of pools?"   
"More or less."   
Sam laughed, "I love this city."  
"Sam."  
"What? This city never fails to entertain, even you have to admit that."   
"Wheres your friend Cobblepot?" He asked suddenly.  
"Upstate."   
"Really?"  
"Yeah."   
"Do you want to tell me why you were arrested two weeks ago?"   
Sam's smile fell. "Jim I was honestly in the wrong place at the wrong time."  
"I don't like you hanging out with him."  
"Jim, Oswald is a good person...in his own way I guess. Besides we've been friends forever and I love the guy, I can't stop being friends with him because you don't like him. Remember John, Jim? Mom didn't like him yet you still snuck out with him."   
"Fair point, speaking of mom, she wants to have brunch with us next Sunday, can you do that?"   
"Let me check my book." She got off the couch and picked up the black book and flipped it open. "Next Sunday, I'm free from 11 to 3, so I guess I can do brunch."   
"Great, I'll pick you up."   
Sam nodded and flipped her phone shut. 

 

Sam just got out of the shower when there was a knock on her door. "Just a minute!"  
She threw on her robe and answered the door. "Hey Ozzie." She let him in. "I'll be a minute, just let me put some clothes on." He nodded and she ran to her room.   
Oswald noticed a rather large painting in the corner by the balcony door, he removed the sheet. If there was something Sam was good at it was realism, in the painting were a woman and two children, one boy and one girl, the boy was older with shaggy brown hair, the little girl also had brown hair in pigtails but the woman was blonde. They seemed to be having a good time, if you looked at it long enough you could swear you heard laughter. The woman appeared to be picking up the little girl and giving her a kiss on the cheek. The background was at a beach. He smiled at the artwork.   
Sam came back but stopped. "Uh, it's not quite finished.  
"Its wonderful. Who are these people? In the painting."   
"My mom, Jim and myself."   
"Really?"   
"Yeah, we'd often go down to Florida during the summer time, but then Jim joined the army and I went off to art school, and now shes to sick to go."   
"Too sick?"  
"A few years ago we found out that my mother has cancer, osteosarcoma, um, she's got about a year left, the doctor said." Sam felt her eyes water but pushed it away.   
"Oh Sam." Oswald moved to hug her.   
After a while they sat down on the couch. "Are you close with your mother?"  
"No, not anymore, we had a fight a little over 2 years ago when I told her I was going to open a tattoo parlour out of my apartment, she's not fond of my life choices, after we found out that she had osteosarcoma, I started working on that painting, I wanted it to be better then anything I've ever done. I was going to give it to her to hang in our house when she beat it but I-" she cleared her throat.   
"I just wish I hadn't been so awful. But enough about me, what happened upstate?"  
"Maroni found out that I was working for Falcone the whole time."  
"How?"  
"Fish."  
"Fish?"  
"Maroni played games with me, treated it like nothing was wrong but I had my suspicions, so I grabbed his gun but of course it was empty tried to kill me, he tried to have me crushed inside of a sedan."   
"How did you get out?"  
"I persuaded the man operating the machine." Oswald started tracing one of the tattoos on her sleeve. "Whats the dream catcher for?"  
"Oh I used to have bad dreams, so I thought that getting a dream catcher would help." They stared at each other intently for a while, Sam blinked and let out the breath she'd been holding. "Would you-would you like a drink?" She asked, clearly flustered.   
"Yes, thank you."  
Sam got up and walked into the kitchen. She handed him a beer.   
"I'm currently working on gaining ownership of Fish's nightclub, would you like to come with me? I need to express my concerns about Maroni to Falcone."  
Sam nodded, "sure I'm down, I don't have any appointments today." Oswald told her to dress nicely, but Sam being Sam just tucked her Iron Maiden shirt into a leather pencil skirt and put on some heels. Oswald sighed but Sam smiled, "at least now I can look you directly in the eyes." She whispered, her mouth twitched into a smile.   
"We should...we should go." She grabbed her jacket and purse. 

Sam followed them around the club listening to Oswald explain things to Falcone, she observed the damage.   
"Maroni had me locked inside a sedan and tried to crush me alive. So, you can imagine my concern. Maroni is not a man to let things go, and I fear he will come after me in retaliation."  
"Were you planning to clean up the place?"  
"What? Oh, I can if you like."   
"It needs it, is that blood?"  
"Perhaps. But Don Falcone-"  
"While your at it, maybe you could do something about the design."  
"The design?"  
"It reeks of Fish Mooney. What do you think about the lamps?"  
Oswald chuckled, "the lamps? Don Falcone, maybe you didn't hear me, I need your protection. Maroni will surely try and kill me."  
"Yes, the lamps should go."  
"Don Falcone, please. Maroni wants my scalp and you'd have me redecorate."   
Falcone turned around to look at Oswald. "This nightclub makes a lot of money, without money we lose influence, without influence we lose control. And without control, Maroni killing you is no longer a hypothetical, its a foregone conclusion. That's why I wanna reopen it, under your care."  
"I can have the club? Its mine?"  
"You've earned it. Your days of sneaking around spying on Maroni are over. You're with me now, publicly. Things are gonna be much different. So spruce up the place. Get it open, as for Maroni, leave him to me." Falcone left, Sam screamed excitedly and ran up to hug Oswald. "Congratulations Oz!"   
He smiled and hugged her back, her hair smelled like vanilla and he hummed.   
They stood together going over the interior design of the club.   
"What do you think I should do?"   
Sam crossed her arms. "Maybe go purple? Or black with purple accents."   
"Yes, yes I see it, perhaps an umbrella sign?"

Sam sat and watched them redecorate. "Mr. Cobblepot will this do?" He showed him the champagne bottle.   
"We will not be serving that." Oswald didn't look happy about what was happening on stage. "No, no, no. I said lose the drapes, not tie them back. We're opening in 10 hours."   
"Sorry."   
Gabe came by with the invitations. "Hey boss."   
"Ah, they're ready."   
"Still warm from the printer."   
Sam grabbed one from the box, they were simple and elegant, the paper was black with the name Oswald's in the centre.   
"Keep that one." He told her, "invite Allyson and Carina." She nodded and took her phone out of her purse to call them, she walked off to a separate part of the club.   
"Hello?"  
"Ally, I have a surprise, we're going out tonight, you me and Carina."  
"Why? Where?"  
"A little place called Oswald's. Meet me at my apartment at quarter to 7."  
"Will do." 

They met up at her apartment Sam dressed in a black, backless dress that stopped at the knees. Ally was wearing a halter dress and Carina a bodycon dress.   
"Alright bitches lets move it." Ally said in a commanding tone. They took Carina's car.   
Sam went right up to Oswald. "The place looks great."   
"The place is practically empty."   
Sam sighed she put her hands on his shoulders. "Ozzie, relax, its still early."   
He nodded and she touched his face before grabbing a table.   
They sat and listened to some band play a song that was honestly just repeating the same words over and over.   
Sam saw Maroni walk in and she stiffened a considerable amount.   
"Penguin."   
He turned to walk off.   
"Where you going?"   
Oswald turned around. "Don Maroni. Its such a pleasure to see you."  
"Look at you, from the trunk of my car to running your own club. The place looks good Penguin. Hell of a turnout." His men chuckled.   
"How about a table? Drinks? My compliments of course."   
"Expensive stuff. Let me see." He took the bottle. "I had a little chat with Falcone. I came here to let you know that all is kosher between us." He smacked Oswald in the face. "As long as you don't go giving Falcone any more of my secrets."  
"No, nothing like that."  
"Of course not. Grab a glass."   
They turned their backs towards the stage. "You better hope that old man Falcone lives a long life, because the second he's out of the picture, so are you." Maroni kept pouring the champagne even when it started spilling onto the floor. He gave Oswald a pat on the shoulder and left. Sam got up from her table. "Are you alright?" She asked, she took the glass and put it on the table, she grabbed the handkerchief she kept in her clutch and wiped his hand.   
"No, I am not alright, Maroni thinks he can threaten me."   
"Don't let him get to you." She touched his face. "Hm?" He put his hand over her own and smiled at her.


	5. Chapter Five

Sam dropped by the club the next night, there was more of a turnout and Oswald had his mother come in to sing. Sam listened to her while the bar boy made her drink. With it in hand she sat at the table beside Oswald's, his mother hasn't met her yet and she hopes theres no introduction, its not that she doesn't want to officially meet Gertrud Kapelput, she just wasn't up to it right now.   
Gertrud finished the song and looked out nervously, Oswald stood up and clapped, Sam followed and the patrons followed unsure of themselves.   
Gertrud smiled and took her bows.   
"Boo!" Sam turned around and scowled at the guy.   
"Get off you old bag."   
Oswald turned around he buttoned his jacket and marched up to the man. Oswald broke a bottle and cut the man with it, he went for another blow but Sam stood up and grabbed his arm. "Easy Ozzie, you've made your point." She held her hand out for the bottle, he handed it to her. She set it down and they walked back towards the stage, ignoring the horrified patrons. "Get him out of here." He told an employee. "Yes sir." 

 

Sam spent a lot of her free time at the club, this particular instance she was listening to Oswald play the piano and was talking to Jim on the phone.  
"So your new girlfriend Lee, took you to the circus and it turns into a brawl between the Grayson's and the Lloyd's, but then it turned out that some snake-dancer lady was murdered? And the families are pointing fingers at each other?"   
"Yes, that sums it up."   
"But wait, back up, how come you didn't tell me you got a new girlfriend?"  
"It never came up."  
"Can I meet her?"  
"Uh, maybe."  
"Jim-"  
"I gotta go, bye." 

Later on Sam joined Oswald as he listened to the evening acts rehearse, there was a comedian, a few singers and currently a woman playing the violin.   
"Hello Penguin." They turned around, Victor was walking over. Oswald stood up. "Victor, how nice." Oswald snapped his fingers and the woman promptly left.   
"Don Falcone thinks your messing up, you don't know how to run a club. Your numbers, stink."   
"With all due respect-"  
"I didn't come here to talk."   
"Good manners cost nothing, you know."  
Victor whistled, Butch came around the corner, Sam stood up quickly, Oswald turned and stumbled backwards. Victor starts laughing. Butch is just standing there.   
"Relax, he's harmless. Say hi, Butch."  
"Hi."  
"Falcone didn't wanna throw him away, so I worked on him in my basement for a couple of weeks. He's a whole new man. Right Butch?"  
"Yes sir, Mr. Zsasz."  
"Butch knows the club scene up and down. He'll help you out."  
"But he's-he's Butch Gilzean. He's loyal to Fish Mooney."   
"And he'll do exactly what you say."   
Oswald smiled and turned back to Butch. "Really?"  
"Really."  
"Hey Butch, dance for me."  
Butch started doing a little jig. Sam giggled, clearly amused.   
"I do good work." Victor said. 

 

Sam had a really weird dream last night, she dreamt that she was parading around the night club in a skimpy dress only to sit across Oswald's lap and he proceeded to whisper dirty things in her ear and kissed her neck. She woke up with her hand down her sleep shorts. Sam sighed and got ready for the day, she had a 10am and another at 4, the 4 was a mother, daughter appointment, getting matching tattoos.   
She decided to have a girls night in, she didn't want to risk being awkward around Oswald. She sat and watched Ally grade homework. "I'm no mathematician but these students are the worst." Ally laughed.  
"I know, but the job pays."   
"Not well enough, so how are things with Carina?"  
"Good, we're talking about finally moving in together."  
"Thats great, its been what? 5 years?"  
"Yeah, so, Oswald, talk to me."  
Sam sighed, "its not going to happen Ally-"  
"Because you won't let it."  
"I mean yes I like him, yes sometimes I think about kissing his face but he sees me as a friend, his only friend. I cant mess that up." Sam chugged the rest of her drink, ignoring the burning sensation.   
"I don't think I've ever been in love before." Sam said.   
"And are you? In love with him I mean."   
Sam nodded, "yeah, yeah I am. But he can never know."  
Ally nodded reluctantly.

Sam tried calling Oswald but he didn't answer his phone. She wasn't up to much of anything tonight so she drank half a case, smoked half a pack and fell asleep watching 1950s horror films. 

When she woke up there was a fresh coat of snow on her balcony, she smiled and stood out in it bare foot, she smiled and took in the winter air, she loved the snow, the cold, everything about winter. A meow broke her train of thought, in the snow on the table was a cat. "Oh." She cooed. "What have we here?" She scooped him up. He meowed. "Lets get you inside." When she got him warm she gave him a can of tuna that she keeps around for Oswald. The cat didn't have a collar so Sam assumed that he was a stray. "I think I might keep you." She said. "What are you?"   
She went over to her computer, she looked up cat breeds. She looked down at the cat, he was sitting on the ground in front of her. She looked back at the photo. "I think you're an Egyptian mau." The cat meowed, Sam smiled. "But what to call you?"   
He meowed again, but it was long, almost like he was complaining. "You sound like my friend Oswald." That gave her an idea. "Ossy, I think I'll call you Ossy." He moved his head to the side, Sam smiled. "I think I should go to the pet store? Yeah?"   
Sam dressed appropriately and left the apartment.   
She came back after several hours and started unpacking what she bought, she got two cat beds, one for her bedroom, one for the living room, and little blankets. Sh bought him a little condo that she'll add onto later as well as several toys, tons of food, treats, a potion control feeder for the dry food and a double bowl for wet food and water, the stand it comes on is shaped into two little fish. She coaxed the cat onto her lap, she gave him a few pets and slipped on his collar, it had a little bowtie on it, inside a pocket was her name, his name, address and phone number. She spent the day getting to know her new friend, he was very intelligent Sam found, he was also very chatty, he was playful and charming. Sam saw it get dark and she smiled. "I think we should pay my friend Oswald a visit, hm? He is going to love you." Ossy meowed, Sam got him into a harness and a little leash, she wrapped him in a plush blanket and zipped him up under her coat.   
She showed up at Oswald's and walked inside, he was talking to Gabe when he nodded towards Sam, Oswald turned around, she looked like she was holding something, something that was squirming inside her parka.   
"Sam, what a pleasant surprise indeed."   
She smiled, "I made a new friend today."   
"Oh really? What's her name?"  
"Ossy, and its a boy."   
Oswald blinked. "I'm not following."  
Sam unzipped her coat carefully and out of the blanket popped her cat, he jumped on the bar, he went for a tap. "Ossy no." She scooped him up in her arms. "Alcohol is not for precious kittys like yourself." He meowed. "Ossy meet Oswald. Ozzie this is Ossy."   
"You named him after me?" Oswald asked, his mouth twitching into a smile, he went to pet Ossy, he pushed his head up into his hand. "But why?"  
"He reminds me of you, talkative, intelligent, playful and charming and he likes me."   
"I'm flattered, truly I am."  
Sam smiled brightly at him. She took Ossy home and got ready to go back, in proper clothes, a dress in a dark plum colour with cut outs, paired with 4 inch stilettos.   
She arrived back and was greeted by Butch, she nodded went to the bar, Gertrud walked up to her. "Hello." She said, "you look lonely, I thought I'd join you." Sam smiled at her, "that's very considerate of you, are you waiting for someone?"   
"Oh my son, Oswald, he owns this place."   
"You must be so proud."  
"Yes," she gasped when Sam turned her body towards her. "My, aren't you a work of art!" She exclaimed rolling her r's. "How many do you have?"   
"26."  
"Oh so many, I have one myself that not even my liebchen knows about." She winked at Sam.   
"I am Gertrud."  
"Sam."   
"Sam." She repeated, eyes widening. Sam swore at herself. "You're my Oswald's friend Sam?"   
Sam closed her eyes. "Yes."   
"Oh." She drawled. "My Oswald never told me you were so beautiful."   
"You're not freaking out? I mean Oswald told me how you feel about other woman in his life and I-"  
"My dear, you have been a true friend to my boy, always there for him when he needs you, not once have you tried to seduce him away from his mother." Gertrud touched her face. "How tall are you?" She asked.   
Sam blinked, "uh, exactly 5-foot."  
"Really? So little but you carry yourself like you're bigger then you are."   
Sam smiled, "I was looked down on a lot growing up, that my official nickname was pipsqueak."   
"Oh how awful."   
"I didn't mind it much, but wait, you aren't mad that I'm a woman."  
"I was at the beginning but not so much anymore, you seem so nice." She smiled. Oswald came back to greet them.  
"I see you two are getting along, I'm glad."   
Sam smiled, "quite a turnout you got here, Oz." He smiled, his eyes at the start of the evening full of ambition to carry out his plan to kill Maroni, but now they softened and his voice quieted down when he spoke with her, there was no malice, no hard edges, it was just soft. Oswald loved everything about Sam, how one minute he can be in a murderous rage and the look into her warm eyes and lose all of that. His eyes trailed down to her lips, and the nude lipstick she wore. "Oswald?" Sam asked trying to get his attention. "Hey, Oz."   
"Beautiful." He whispered.  
Sam snapped her fingers, Oswald blinked and cleared his throat. "Yes?"  
"You've been staring at me."  
"Oh I'm sorry, I-"  
"Dude its okay, anyway you owe your mother a dance."   
Oswald nodded, "yes you're right." He lead his mother out towards the stage. Sam let out the breath she had been holding. "Hennessy." She said, the boy poured her a glass. 

 

Sam came back the next day in the afternoon with Ally, her school had a P.A. Day and meetings finished early, Sam tensed up when she saw Maroni walk through the door, Ally put a hand on her shoulder. "Sam?"  
"I'm fine." She whispered, "that's Don Maroni."   
"Maroni? The Maroni that tried to kill Oswald?"  
"The very same."   
"Shit."   
Maroni sat with Oswald's mother. "Oh this just got worse." Sam whispered, "Ally go home."  
"What?"  
"Go home!"   
Ally walked out, Sam hoped Maroni wouldn't recognize her but he did. "Sam!"   
She cursed and turned around, she smiled at him. "Don Maroni, I didn't think you'd remember me."  
"How could I forget a beauty such as yourself, its a shame you belong to Oswald."  
"Oh I'm not-we're not-I."  
"Relax, I'm joking, come, sit down." As soon as she sat down he saw him. "Is that my buddy, Oswald? Come here." He poured Sam a drink.   
His mother waved. "Oh, Oswald." Oswald walks over, "mother, what are you doing?"   
"I'm having a drink with Mister-" Maroni stopped her, "I told you, Sal." He touched her face, Sam cringed a little. "With Sal." Gertrud said. "But we shouldn't impose any longer-" Oswald reached for the drink but Maroni stopped him, "you're not taking my Gertrud."   
"Oh, his Gertrud." She laughed, Oswald's jaw clenched. "Sam." He said, "yes?"   
"Move so I can sit with my mother."  
"Of course Ozzie."   
She moves to sit across from Gertrud and Oswald sits down beside his mother.   
Gertrud started talking about Oswald's childhood upon Maroni's request.   
"Never, never would he play with other children. He knew even then he was too good for them. Imagine my surprise when he comes home and says he made a friend named Sam, who I thought was a boy at the time but turned out to be this beautiful woman here. And now he is a respectable man of business, my Oswald."   
"Well, this has been a delight, but its late."  
"One thing, Gertrud my love."  
"Oh." She looked over at Oswald, Sam could see the rage begin to burn in his eyes, she slipped her hand under the table and touched his knee in a reassuring manner.   
"A question that's been bothering me."  
"Oh no, oh no." She said touching his face.  
"Is this an act?"   
Gertrud and Maroni laughed.   
"Are you pretending that he's just a nightclub owner? Or are you really that stupid?"   
Sam's eyes widened and she looked at Oswald.   
"Stop!"  
"I don't understand."   
"Your son-"  
"Don Maroni I am warning you!"   
"Is a coldblooded psychopath."   
"No, no, no."   
"And beautiful little Sam here, knows exactly what kind of man your son is but stays by his side, and either she is hopelessly in love with him or she's just as crazy as he is, I can't count how many men he's killed and how many she's watched him kill. My own friend, Frankie Carbone, he stabbed him a dozen times."  
"Maroni, enough." Sam said, in a dangerous tone.   
"What kind of person plunges a knife into someone she over and over."   
Sam watched Gertrud become more and more distressed.  
"He is a filthy liar, mother!" Oswald yelled. "He's just angry because I played him for a fool!" Sal grabbed Gertrud's face and turned her towards him. "You know, don't you? I can see it."  
"Let go of her!" Oswald put his hand on Maroni's arm. "Did you catch him one night, washing the blood from his hands? When did you realize that you've given birth to a monster?" Gertrud seemed to pass out from shock or she had a breakdown, Oswald held her and turned to Maroni.  
"You're going to pay for this."   
"Maybe," he stands, "or maybe this ends with me dumping your lifeless body into the river. Either way you and mama Gertrud can stop pretending." He put some money on the table and turned to Sam. "Especially you, I can see right through you." She stiffened. "You can stop pretending that you only feel platonic love for him, I can see it in your eyes, ask yourself, how can you love a man like him?"   
He walked out. Sam let out rapid breaths. "I gotta go." She stumbles, grabs her coat and walks out of the club. 

 

Sam curled up on the couch with a pint of ben and jerrys, she was watching Law and Order SVU, when Ossy came out from his condo and jumped onto the couch. He meowed and curled up beside her, she gave him a few pets and scratches.   
She woke up on the couch to her phone ringing. "Jim?"   
"Have you seen Barbara?"  
"No."  
He hung up. "Love you to, bro." She sighed and rolled over. 

In the morning she called Ally.   
"Hello."   
"Maroni knows."   
"Knows what?"  
"He knows that I'm in love with Oswald."   
"What?"  
"He outted me in front of him."  
"Well what did Oswald say?"  
"Nothing, I left before he could."   
"Sam."   
"I-" she sniffed, took a breath and sighed, "I don't think I can face him again, I-"  
"Sam, don't cry."   
"I'm sorry." She composed herself. "I'm sorry. What should I do?"  
"Confront him about it, whats the worst thing that could happen?"  
"He could say he never wants to see me again."  
"Sam, I know your probably thinking of every horrible outcome but try to think of something good. Maybe he does love you but maybe he wants you to say it first. Sam just tell him."  
"Tell him, right...I'll tell him." 

 

Sam walked into the club, she didn't bother changing out of her day clothes. "Sam." He greeted, "you look nervous, are you alright?"   
She took a deep breath. "Oswald." She whispered, avoiding his eyes, he stood and moved in front of her. "What is it?" He asked, "what's wrong?"  
Sam clung to the lapels on his jacket. "I love you." She whispered, he didn't have time to respond, she pulled him down and kissed him.   
When they parted she walked out. "Sam? Sam!"


	6. Chapter Six

Sam sat on the couch with Ossy in her lap, her phone buzzed again, it stopped and it buzzed again, she could see Oswald's name on the little screen. It kept buzzing and buzzing. Sam sat there, her cat licked away any tears from falling off her chin. He meowed, Sam smiled softly.   
Eventually Oswald stopped calling. Ally stopped by the apartment, she completely adored Sam's cat.   
"I told him." Sam said.  
"What?"  
"I told Oswald that I loved him, I kissed him then I left."  
"Sam, that's not how you do things. What did he do?"  
"He's been calling me all day."  
"And you didn't answer?"  
"No."   
"Why not?"  
"I'm not ready to confront him."  
"Sam, you cant keep dancing around you're feelings, you deserve to be happy. You need to let yourself be loved."  
"Why?"   
"Sam."   
Sam walked away and went outside on the balcony.   
"Sam." Ally touched her shoulder hesitantly.   
"I don't know what will happen to me if I accept this, I have no idea what I'll become."  
"You're talking as if there's something wrong with you."  
"I-" she sighed, "do you remember our senior prom?"   
Ally's face paled. "I remember."   
"Oswald thinks I did 5 years at art school-"  
"When really you did 5 years at a mental hospital, I know."   
"Now you know why."   
Ally chewed her lip. "You wanna go down to the pier? Like old times? Might get your mind off things."  
Sam nodded. "That would be wonderful." 

They saw Jim get out of an ambulance but ambushed by Fish. Oswald also stepped out of the ambulance, they drag them all inside the warehouse, Sam gets up to follow but Ally pushes her back. "Sam! You cant go in there you are weaponless."   
She shrugged her off. "That's my brother and best friend in there, I cant sit around."   
They snuck into the warehouse.  
Oswald, Jim, Harvey and Falcone were tied to hooks with their arms suspended over their heads.   
"Oh Ozzie." Sam whispered. She watched Selina walk up to Oswald and give him a little nudge. She saw Falcone whisper something to Jim. Selina started talking to Jim about something. Ally shuffled but knocked over a bottle and it started rolling, Sam looked at Ally annoyed. "Oops."   
"Who's there?" Fish asks.   
The girls start backing up nice and slow. But bump into something hard and warm.   
They're dragged back and they're let go of momentarily, Sam rushes for Oswald. "Sam?"  
She reaches up to touch his face. "Hey Oz."   
"I was calling you I-"  
"I know, and I'm sorry."   
"What are you doing here anyway?"  
"I was worried about you."  
"Worried about me? First you tell me you love me, then you kiss me and leave. And then you ignore my calls."   
"Wait, she what?" Jim said, anger lacing his voice, she ignores him. "I know Ozzie, I was just scared."   
"And how do you feel now?"   
"Terrified." Her eyes took in every detail of his face. One of Fish's men grabs her by the arm and starts pulling her away.   
"I'm gonna get us outta here, alive, I promise." Oswald said.   
"I believe you."   
Fish walked over. "Hello fellas. Carmine, Penguin? Nothing to share? Well I have a little something. I just made a sweet deal with Maroni. He just told me I could have all my territories back, and all I have to do in return is give him Carmine's head." Butch walked up to Fish. "Uh, Fish, I need to go lie down." He left. Fish turned to Oswald. "What did you do to that poor soul, you sadist?"   
"I assure you-"   
She held up her finger, "you will die a slow, painful death on account of Butch."   
Sam squirmed, trying to free herself of the man's grasp but he just twisted her arm harder making her gasp in pain.   
"You too Carmine."   
She walked to Jim. "You, we'll keep it simple." Next was Harvey, "and you? We're cool, any questions?"   
"How are you gonna kill them?" Selina asked.  
"I love this girl." Fish said.   
"Whats going to happen to us?" Ally asked, Fish walked up to them. She looked at Ally, "I don't know you, you're free to leave." She motioned for the man to take her away. "And you." She said to Sam, looking down at her, "you get to die with your Penguin." She spat.   
"No!" Jim and Oswald protested, struggling against their bonds. Sam tried to free herself again but a snap in her left arm made her scream. "Sam!"   
Fish turned back to Selina she grabbed her hand and walked away.   
Sam was slumped up against the car holding her arm.   
"Sam?"   
She looked up at Oswald. "Oh Sam, I'm so sorry."  
"Its not your fault." She gave him a weak smile.   
Fish showed up a group of people, she let Harvey free, around the same time Maroni showed up, "there he is." He looked down at Sam, and gave a knowing smile. Sam managed to successfully put the bone back in place but she was starting to bruise heavily.  
"Fish, you mysterious, crazy, gorgeous killer you. I love you." They hugged. Maroni walked up to Falcone. "This, this is delicious. Finally, you're hard to kill, old man."   
"No, your people are just second rate."   
Maroni scoffed.   
Oswald glanced at Sam.   
"Miss. Mooney, if I may have a brief word. I know my life is forfeit. But spare Sam, please. Kill me if you must but spare her, please, I beg of you."   
"Is that all?"  
"No, I also beg you keep Falcone alive. As soon as he's dead, Maroni has no use for you. You are simply a threat. He will kill you."   
"Oh!" Maroni exclaims. Fish turns to him.   
"You think?"   
"Why would he need another boss in town? Another rival?"  
"That's where you're wrong smart guy. A, she's not a rival because she's not a boss, she's an underboss."  
"An underboss takes orders. I don't take orders."   
"I know that, we're cool, relax."   
"I'm relaxed."  
"I don't think you are babes."   
Fish laughed, "please don't call me 'babes.'"   
"You see? Not relaxed. Babes? Really? Its a term of endearment. I means I like you. Fine, I misspoke. You're not an underboss and you're not a babe. You tell me what you are."   
She walked towards him. "What we are, Sal, are partners."   
"Whatever you want. Partners. I'm Partner Number 1, and you're Partner Number 2. That's the deal right? I'm number one, and you are?"  
"Number two."   
"There you go. Simple math. One, two, babes. Oops. Sorry, that's the last time, I swear." He walked to Oswald's side. "Guys, can you feel the buzz in the air? That's victory. Redemption, power. When this old man dies." He points to Falcone. "A new day begins. We will rule Gotham. We're building a dynasty. We will whip this town like a rented mule. Right babes?" He started chuckling, "alright relax, I'm kidding you." He turns to his men. "Guys no seriously, don't call her 'babes.' Or 'toots' or what have you."   
Fish looked pissed, but Maroni continued.   
"Its a women's-lib thing." He turned to face Fish. She shot him in the head.   
"I am relaxed."   
Theres a pause and they start shooting at each other, Sam ignores her arm as she crawls under the ambulance. Oswald bent down on the ground. "Sam come on!" She crawled out and he took her right hand. Oswald hid her. "Is this a bad time to say I love you too?" He asked. Sam smiled. "A little bit." She noticed a machine gun. He noticed it to. He grabbed it and she kissed his cheek. "Go kill that bitch."   
He started firing at them. He ran out of ammunition and picked up a discarded gun and shot a man begging for his life. "Fish! Where are you?" He saw her running up some stairs and followed her. Jim, Harvey and Falcone saw the opportunity and escaped in Maroni's car.   
She stayed there, examining her arm, it wasn't very broken, maybe it wasn't even broken, it could just be her imagination, her imagination plays tricks on her sometimes. Yeah that could be it. Its her imagination, nothing more, her arm is fine. She saw Butch go up the stairs so she followed him. When they found the pair they were fighting and had each other by the necks Butch pulled out his gun.   
"Butch, about time."  
"Shoot her, Butch."  
"Oh really?"  
"Do as I say Butch. Shoot her."   
"What are you doing? Drop him."  
"My friend, remember your training."   
Butch looked confused and sad at the same time.   
"I order you to shoot her."   
"Butch, don't listen to him. He did something to your mind. I'm your girl, remember? I'm your girl."   
"Kill her now!"   
Butch shot both of them. Sam screamed in alarm.   
"Butch."   
He dropped the gun and went over to Fish. "Oh my god, what did I do?"   
"Oz? Ozzie?" Sam went over to him, he was breathing heavily but he was alive. "Oh thank god you're alive." She helps Oswald up, he yells and hits Butch over the head with a piece of wood.   
"Goodbye Fish."   
"Its all good."   
They yell and he charges at her, throwing her over the wall, she screams and falls into the water, even Sam knew theres no coming back from that.   
Oswald starts climbing up the wall. "Ozzie be careful!"   
"I'm the king of Gotham." He said quietly. "I'm the king of Gotham!" He shouts, over and over and over.   
Sam was clutching her arm. "Ozzie. I think my arm is broken."   
He got down from the wall. The bruising stood out from the black and white of her tattoos. "I'll fix it." He kissed her forehead. "I'll fix it, okay?" 

Sam got her arm fixed up.   
Oswald convinced Sam to move in with him while they established their family, she agreed and closed down her business. They may be sort of together but they slept in separate rooms. Sam's arm healed nicely and quickly. She invited Ally and Carina for a girls night. "Wow, this place is amazing."   
"I know."   
She showed them around. Oswald was sitting at the table with a glass of wine in hand. Sam walked over to his chair and put a hand on his shoulder. She bent down. "Will you be okay without me?" She asked, he smiled at her. "I'll be fine, I'll have Butch bring drinks and anything else you require." She gave him a smile and left the room.  
The girls sat in a circle on Sam's bed. "So what happened recently?"  
"Well Oswald and I are kinda together, but not quite."  
"I'm not...what?"  
"How can you be kinda together?"   
Sam shrugged. "We just are."  
"You're either together or you're not."   
"Its complicated."   
"Complicated? How is it complicated?" Carina asked, Sam and Ally look at each other.   
"Carina, I think its that point in our friendship where I need to tell you something, something important." Sam said, a little nervous.   
She nodded cautiously.   
"The reason its so complicated and why I'm so complicated is that," she took a breath, "on our prom night I went with a boy who I liked but he wasn't getting anywhere with me physically so he found another girl, I followed them to an alley where they were," she cleared her throat, "and then I...stabbed them both...several times." She closed her eyes. Carina sat there, thinking it over. "Huh, I knew there was something about you." The girls laughed.   
"Oswald thinks I was at art school for those 5 years."  
"Where were you then if not there?"   
"Manhattan Psychiatric Canter."   
But little did they know Butch was standing outside the door and heard everything, he knocked, Sam moved to open the door and took the bottle and glasses from him. "Thank you, Butch."   
"You're welcome." He turns to walk away.   
"Hey, Butch." He turns around. "My friends and I are hungry, could you maybe?"  
"I'll have someone bring something."  
"Remember I'm a vegetarian."  
"Will do."   
Sam had no idea that Butch knew or that he would tell Oswald.   
In the morning Sam felt Oswald watching her more then usual. When she turned around to look at him, he smiled, like he knew something. But Sam went on with her morning and afternoon. Ally and Carina went home some time in the early morning.   
In the evening she brought herself and Oswald a drink.   
She sat down at the table, in her chair by Oswald's. He chuckled.  
"What is it that you've found amusing all day?"   
"Butch told me your secret."   
She sipped her wine. "I don't have any secrets."   
He pointed a finger at her, "yes you do."   
"Oswald I-"  
"Are you going to tell me, or are you going to bumble?"   
She sighed, "yes, okay, yes I kept one secret from you."   
"I want to hear you say it."   
"I've killed people, stabbed them both 60 times, and spent those 5 years in a mental institution instead of art school, is that what you wanted to hear?"   
"Yes, your complete honesty is satisfying, I had no idea you had this dark side, my dove. Truly, I am amazed."   
She got up to put her glass in the kitchen when he pulled her onto his lap. "But what I want to know, is why you killed them."  
Sam became flustered at their closeness and stumbled over her words, "well I was..I guess I was-I was jealous." She said. Oswald laughed.   
"And how do you feel, now?"  
"I don't know."   
"You don't know?" Oswald ran his hand up her thigh and went under her skirt, making her breath catch in her throat, she felt hot and squeezed her thighs for some friction.   
"Do you know now?" He asked again, this was the most intimate they've been since they first got together a months ago.   
"Ozzie." She whispered. He leaned in to kiss her. Butch cleared his throat, they didn't notice him sit down with Tommy Bones, Selina and Victor Sam carefully adjusted her position to see Butch better.   
"Ogden Barker, in for 70 grand plus two months' vig, 250 in change. Says he owes Falcone, Falcones gone, so his debt's forfeit."   
"Well we cant have him saying that. What if everybody started saying that? There'd be anarchy."   
Sam's cat jumped onto the table and demanded her attention, she called the cat over to sit with her and Oswald.   
The man Oswald hired as a butler came in the room. "What is it?"   
"Jim Gordon is here, sir."   
Oswald chuckled. "Oh, splendid."   
Sam held onto her cat and got off Oswald so he could stand up.   
"Jim, come on in."   
The butler left and Oswald walked to Jim.   
Ossy the cat seemed to take a bit of a liking to Selina, so Sam walked over to the girl so they could shower Ossy with affection. Sam looked at her brother and sort of boyfriend shake hands.   
"My dear old friend."  
"We need to talk."  
"Oh." Oswald turned to the table. "Leave us." They got up to leave. "Except you, my little dove, you can stay, he is your brother after all."   
Sam nodded and sat down, Selina stayed too. "Hey, Selina, moving on up huh?"   
"Trying."   
Sam smiled at her, and looked back to Jim. "I adore her, its like having a second cat."   
Jim gave Sam a look of slight disappointment before turning to Oswald. "I need a favour. I figure you owe me one."   
"I do? I'm always happy to help you, but I don't recall-"  
"The hospital. I saved you from Maroni's men."  
"But I was only there because you arrested me."  
"For attempted murder. Remind me again why I let you go?"   
"Enlightened friendship. I'd call us even, but let's not quibble, I'm so happy you came to me for help, Jim. The answer is yes. Your wish is granted."  
"You don't know what it is yet."   
"You want Loeb fired and your old job back. No?"  
"Yes."  
"For a good friend like you, it can be done. If your sure that's what you want."  
"I'm sure."  
"May I ask why? Police work in Gotham is such a thankless job."   
"Good pension."  
"What does Lee think?"  
"Who?"   
Oswald smirked at Jim, he turned to Sam.   
"You told him about Lee?"  
"Yes, we tell each other everything, why? Was that a no-no?" She asked innocently. Jim held his tongue and turned to Oswald.   
"Are you gonna help me or not?"   
"Relax, I already said I would help."   
Jim stood up.   
"He is so brusque, isn't he? I can't believe you grew up with that." Sam just shrugged.   
"Thank you. Oh." Oswald stood up, smacking his hand on the table, "while I think on it, perhaps there's a small favour you could do for me in return. I know how you hate to owe favours. I am having a small business dispute with a friend of mine, Ogden Barker. You have a persuasive personality. Perhaps you could talk to him."   
"You want me to collect a debt for you?"   
"I want you to prove to me that our friendship is a real one. Based on trust and equity."   
"That's fair." Jim paused. "No, sorry. Can't help you. Congratulations on all your success. Be good Sam."  
"I can't make any promises Jimmy." He walked away.   
"Don't say no now, Jim. Sleep on it." 

Sam got a call in the morning, she sighed and flipped her phone open.   
"Hello?"   
"Is this Samantha Jane Gordon?"   
"Yes."   
"I'm Doctor Ludvig with Gotham General."  
Sam went stiff, her eyes started tearing up and he breathing became rapid.   
"Is-is she? Is my mother?"   
"She's critical, she doesn't have a lot of time."   
Sam flipped the phone shut and started crying. Sam called Jim to tell him, he didn't say a word, just hung up.   
Sam left when Oswald went to talk to commissioner Loeb. She walked into Gotham General, her mother was small, weak and pale. She sat down in the chair.   
"Sammy?"  
"Hi maman."   
"Did they?"  
"I didn't come here to talk long maman, I'm here to put an end to this, you're suffering and I'd hate to see my maman suffer."   
"Your clothes look so expensive. I didn't think the tattoo business would make you a lot of money."   
"Its not the business maman, I'm just...with a very powerful man."   
"Does he make you happy?"  
"Yes."   
"That's what matters, Mon amour."   
Sam closed her eyes and walked over to the plug on the wall. "I'm sorry, maman."   
"Sam-"  
Sam pulled the plug and the line went flat. "I love you." She left the room before the staff got there.   
Sam met up with the funeral director, the service would be on Sunday. By the funeral Jim was a detective again.   
Jim didn't say a word the entire time as they buried their mother beside their father. Ally showed up and took her back to the mansion. Oswald was standing in the living room when Sam came in, dressed in black.   
"Sam? What happened? Where were you?"  
She closed her eyes, "I buried my mother today." She said slowly. Oswald rushed over and collected her in his arms. "Oh Sam, I'm so sorry." He took her over to one of the couches and sat down, she curled up to him and cried.   
It took Sam a week but she was back to her old self. She collected the paper that morning. "The Maniax?" She questioned. She brought the paper inside. "Hey, Ozzie, you hear about this?" She held up the paper.


	7. Chapter 7

Since her mother's death, Sam let herself loose, she started wearing less, a lot more leather and lace, like tonight she wore a leather zip up dress with a low neckline and lace sleeves and louboutins, but also she would give in to urges she's suppressed, things like, violence, greed, and maybe a touch of lust, towards Oswald exclusively. Recently there was a maid that got a little handsy with Oswald, its safe to assume that on Sam's terms, the woman no longer has hands, or a pulse. But regarding the issue of the Maniax, Oswald called a meeting, but it was chaotic, everyone was arguing with everyone, annoyed out of her mind Sam grabbed a shotgun and gave it to Oswald who was equally as annoyed, he shot the ceiling, everyone went silent. "Gentleman, ladies, others, let us discuss the future with a little civility, shall we?" He cocks the gun and a shell falls on the floor. He walks to his chair and sits down, Sam grabs the woman beside him by her hair and pulls her up. "You're in my seat." She said, the woman walked away and Sam sat down, her chair rather close to Oswald's.  
"So," he started, "no one of you knows who orchestrated and/or executed the Arkham breakout? I find that hard to believe. I mean the cops only lead is an old blind man, for God's sake. A blind man! Then who here is to be trusted?" He turns to Sam. "Because someone knows."  
"Uh." He turns to the man beside him. "We thought it was you."  
"Why would I do that? We've never had it better? I gave you all the freedom in the world. And business boomed, for all of us. A new generation. Then that ginger maniac had to spoil everything. Even now he's dead, public is still terrified, business is in the can, and what are we doing? Fighting among ourselves." Oswald stood. "Is this how any of us wants to live? Squabbling, brawling, running, hiding? This city belongs to us now. But kids, that brings responsibilities. We need to restore confidence in our brand, if you will. We need discipline and unity, yes? There will be no more chaos, no more gang wars, no more blood on the streets scaring decent folk." Sam looked by the door, a woman was standing there with her arms crossed, she looked at Butch.  
"From now on if you want to kill someone, blackmail, steal, or kidnap anyone, I need to hear about it first. Understand?"  
There were scattered nods, and mumbles, they all got up to leave. Sam walked towards Oswald and whispered in his ear, nodding to the woman, who would later be introduced as Tabitha Galavan. He walked to her., Sam followed. "Bravo, quite the king Solomon. You had them nicely in line."  
"Who are you?"  
"My brother would very much like to talk to you." She gave Sam and Butch the up-down. "Alone."  
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Butch asked. "You don't know me."  
"Relax, Butch. He has issues, bipolar."  
"She don't know me, I'm just saying."  
Oswald sighed, "your brother?"  
"Theodore Galavan. There's a car waiting for you outside."  
Oswald left with her. He was gone for almost 24 hours and it made Sam nervous. She sat in the living room with Ally and Carina, eating ice cream with several bottles of wine, they decided to watch Dirty Dancing. During the final dance between Baby and Johnny, Ally and Carina tried to copy them but when Ally dipped her head the three of them started laughing and couldn't stop instead the three of them just sang Time of my Life at the top of their lungs.  
Butch came in the living room, with a smile on his face, they stopped and looked at him. "I'm sorry to disturb the fun girls, but I must be going. Victor's here so you don't need to worry."  
Sam crossed her arms. "Don't talk to us like we're children."  
"Aren't you? I mean the actions of tonight seem childish, dancing around, jumping on the couch."  
Sam walked up to Butch, but without her heels and small stature she failed to intimidate. "I'm 29 years old, do not talk to me like I'm a child. Now go, do whatever you need to do." She poured herself a glass. He left the room. Ally held up another movie. "Ghostbusters?"  
"Yes." Sam went back to the couch. 

Oswald came back in the morning. Sam stood i the entrance of his room, in her silk chemise. She crossed her arms. "Where were you?"  
"Sam please."  
"That woman comes by and you disappear."  
Oswald grabbed her by her hand and sat her down on his bed, he took a seat beside her. "That woman was Theo Galavans sister, Tabitha, Theo was behind the Arkham breakout. He ordered me to kill the mayoral candidates and attempt to kill him to but he...he has my mother Sam, and he threatened to kill her if I didn't obey him." Sam wiped the tears on his face. "Oh Ozzie." She sat herself across his lap and he clutched onto her. "We'll find her Ozzie, we will, and then we'll kill them both, Theo and Tabitha." He looked at Sam and saw the hunger in her eyes. "No, killing them will be my job, but first I need to kill Hobbs."  
Sam sighed and kissed his jaw. 

 

There's a bang from the meeting room, Sam got up from the couch, and left the room. "With no warrant, no backup and why? Because you would hate for your new captain to find out about how you gunned down Ogden Barker in cold blood over a dabt-"  
Sam walked in the room, Oswald was talking to Jim.  
"Ozzie?"  
He turned around. "Sam, my dove, come here." Oswald pulled her to him and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I was just talking to your dear brother."  
"Is everything all right?"  
"No, its not." Jim said, irritated by their closeness. "Oswald brutally murdered Janice Caulfield and attempted to murder Randall Hobbs by sending Zsasz."  
Sam looked at Oswald and then Jim. "Oh I know."  
"You do?"  
"Yeah, like I said last time you were here, we tell each other everything." Oswald kissed her forehead looking straight at Jim.  
"And I suppose you did not ask me to run Commissioner Loeb out of town so that you could get your old job back?" Jim didn't say anything he just walked to the door.  
"I'll face whatever's coming to me."  
"As will I, goodbye Jim."  
He left.  
Oswald flopped down in his seat and Sam knelt in front of him. He smiled at her, "it seems the only person I can truly rely on, is you Sam."  
"Well of course you can, I'm your ride or die."  
Oswald bent forward. "As am I." He captured her lips with his. 

 

Sam spent the next day with Ally and Carina, she needed some new clothes and they decided to tag along, Oswald was meeting with Galavan today and it made Sam nervous. Her train of thought was disrupted by Ally, holding up a shirt, "I like this one." The shirt was button up sleeveless silk with a ruffled neckline. "Its ugly." Sam said, Carina agreed.  
Sam sighed, "c'mon, I wanna go to Urban Outfitters." They left the store.  
"Sam, you have all the money you could want, and you have control of the city through Oswald, and you want to go to Urban Outfitters?"  
"Yes."  
They walked around the store a dress caught her eye, Sam picked it up, it was lavender, velvet bodycon with a stomach cutout. Sam smiled and picked her size before going to try it on. 

 

They went out for dinner, some fancy little vegetarian place in the nicer side of Gotham.  
"So," Ally started, "have you slept together yet?" She asked.  
"Excuse me?"  
"You know...have you?"  
Sam knew what she was implying. "Oh, no. No we have not."  
"Why not?"  
"Ally, we just...I'm not even sure we're together, officially. I mean, we've been friends for so long..." Sam sighed, Carina grabbed her hand, "Sam, I understand how you feel, you're scared and nervous, and unsure of yourself."  
"Oswald has been the only person I've ever loved, in more then a platonic fashion."  
"Sometimes I wonder why that is." Carina asked.  
"I don't know, I just love him, I can't explain how or why."  
"But do you want to?" Ally asked.  
"Excuse me?"  
"Do you want to, sleep with him?"  
Sam thought about it, she was attracted to him physically as well as mentally, she just wasn't sure he wanted her that way.  
"I...I mean...I uh." She put her napkin down. "I should go." She snapped her fingers and paid the bill before leaving, she got into the car and went home. She crawled into bed that night without saying hello to Oswald. She laid on her side and thought things over. She knew she had issues, her doctors said so, she wasn't crazy, she was just afraid of love, and yet she felt so strong for him, strong enough that she killed the maid that got to cozy to him. The murder that happened 11 years ago was due to unbridled rage.

She woke up in the morning, Oswald was putting coffee in the pot for her, she smiled at the thought but when he turned around he didn't look happy, paranoid more or less.  
"Oz? What's wrong?"  
"The police raided one of our cash houses last night, no doubt it was your brother with his stupid little strike force." He said, she sighed, walking up to him, she rubbed his arms. "They're just trying to hurt you, the GCPD I mean, I know Galavan is already hurting you, any word on Gertrud?"  
"No." he whispered, "no we have not found a location yet." Sam touched his face gently, she stood up on the balls of her feet and kissed him. He hummed and pulled her closer to him, they were startled by the sound of the coffee maker starting.  
Later on Sam and Oswald were sitting at the table, having a glass of wine together with Butch by their sides obviously, they heard heels and turned to Tabitha.  
"Hi Penguin."  
"What do you want?"  
"Why so glum?"  
"I just lost a lot of money."  
"Aw, poor sad little breadhead."  
"The money is immaterial, someone must have betrayed me, someone close."  
"You don't know that, boss."  
He looked up at Butch. Tabitha tried to take Sam's wine but she smacked her hand.  
"Oh, don't I? Don't I?"  
"Whoa, chill birdman." Tabitha held up an envelope, "I got a job for you."  
"What's that?"  
"Addresses of places you're gonna burn to the ground. Starting tonight."  
"Arson now?" He scoffed, "sure, fine, whatever. If I can find a trustworthy arsonist."  
"Paranoid, huh, get your head together little man, and get it done. And, oh whoever starts the fires is gonna need this." She slid a box to him. He opened it, he looked shocked to say the least. "What is it?" Sam asked, he showed her what was in the box. "Oh my god." She gasped and turned to Tabitha.  
"You can go now." She spat.  
"Oo! Feisty." She smiled wickedly at Sam, "hey whenever you're done playing lapdog for Penguin, come find me, we can have fun together, because it's obvious he doesn't touch you." Tabitha got up and left.  
"What did she say to you?" Oswald asked.  
"Uh, nothing, nothing at all."  
"Sam."  
She closed her eyes and sighed, "she said, when I was tired of being your lapdog I can go to her, and she'd show me a fun time, because it's obvious that you don't touch me."  
Oswald's jaw clenched and he tightened his grip on the box. "Is that right?"  
Sam nodded.  
"She thinks your my lapdog and not my equal?"  
Sam nodded again.  
"She also thinks I don't touch you?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, I guess we just have to prove her wrong."  
Sam blushed and stood up. "I um...Ossy-Ossy needs a new bed so I think I'll go get him one."  
She took the car, the chauffeur noticed her distress. "Are you alright Mrs. Cobblepot?"  
"Oh! We're not-we're...he's my boyfriend not my husband."  
"Apologizes miss."  
He waited outside the pet store.  
Inside Sam was looking at cat beds but she heard the yelps of puppies and turned around, there were about a dozen up on their hind legs trying to look at Sam, tails wagging. The beds ignored she goes over to the window. "Oh, look at you, aren't you a sweet face?"  
"Excuse me, miss?"  
She stood up and stared at the worker. "Yes?"  
"Are you interested in buying a dog?"  
She thought about it for a moment, "yes." She'd deal with Oswald later.  
They let her inside the room, the pups circled around her, tails wagging and yelping, she got on her knees, there were 3 beagles, 3 husky puppies, 2 pugs, a pinscher, 3 chow chow's and one Italian greyhound. Sam cooed at the Italian greyhound and picked her up. "Your all alone in here aren't you?" She licked her face, Sam laughed, "oh I like you, excuse me sir?"  
The worker came in the room. "Yes? Have you made a choice?"  
"Yes." She stood up with the Italian greyhound. "I'm taking her."  
"Ah, she's been alone for a long time, miss."  
"Really?"  
She looked at the puppy. "Not anymore she's not."  
She went around the pet shop and got all the necessities for bringing up a puppy, food, bowls, collar, id tag, leash, waste bags, beds, Sam got several. As well as a crate, Italian greyhound puppies must be confined when left alone due to fragile bones. Pillows and blankets, they aren't a necessity but Sam insisted, "it gets cold in Gotham." She said.  
Puppy training pads, treats, tons of puppy first aid, shampoos, plush toys, a carrier, a bed for the car and finally vitamins, just in case and more clothes and boots then she'd ever need.  
They had a station to fill out if you will the tag. "What will you name her?"  
Sam thought for a moment. "Sally." 

She filled out the necessary paperwork and paid for everything.  
Sally started to whine in the car and wouldn't sit down. "Shhh, its okay." Sam stroked her back.  
They pulled up to the house, the butler came out to help Sam with her bags.  
She held onto Sally and went inside the house, Oswald was at the table, Butch was no where to be found, he looked at Sam and raised his eyebrow. "What do have there?"  
"Uh...I got a dog."  
"What do you mean, you got a dog?"  
"Don't get cross with me."  
"Sam." He sighed.  
"Oh come on, she was all alone! I couldn't leave her."  
"Have you named her?"  
"Yes, Sally, and I filled out the paperwork, and I got a crate so she won't chew on your stuff when home alone, they're easy to groom, she won't shed-"  
"I can't change your mind can I?"  
Sally squirmed and started whining. "No, do you wanna meet her?"  
"Do I have a choice?"  
Sam shook her head and sat down. She showed him the puppy, Sally was a blue Italian greyhound. Oswald fought a smile. "She is awfully cute." Sally started whining.  
"Aren't they race dogs?"  
"Yes."  
"We don't have a fence, sweetheart." Her heart fluttered at the new nickname.  
"I know, but I got training pads and a leash and harness."  
"And you'll train her?"  
Sam nodded.  
"I'll allow it then."  
Sam squealed and kissed him a few times. "Thank you."  
She went to find Ossy to introduce them. She put Sally down and picked up her mau, holding him to her body while Sally walked around and sniffed the cat, she let Ossy sniff Sally, to Sam's surprise they got along very well, it wasn't as troublesome as she imagined it to be. It would take some time for them to get used to each other but it was a slow start.  
She set up her stuff, a bed in her room, a bed in the living room, and a bed in Oswald's room. Sally had toys in Sam's room and in the living room and food stations.  
Sam set up pee pads around the house. Picking up Sally she sat back down at the table. "Where's Butch?"  
"He went down to find the Pike brothers?"  
"The arsonists?" Sam's mouth twitched when Sally chewed on her fingers.  
"What is she doing?" Oswald asked.  
"Ow, teething."  
Oswald tried to act hard and uncaring towards the dog but he sat there and watched Sam bond effortlessly with the pup. "Shes so tiny." Sam cooed, Sally was having a blast, tail wagging and she kept licking Sam.  
"Just like you." Oswald commented.  
"What?"  
"Nothing."  
Sally started chewing on Sam's hair. "Hey!" She laughed, "no, naughty." She kissed Sally.  
Sam took Sally to run around the living room and they played together until Sally tuckered herself out, Sam laid on the couch with Sally snuggled on her chest, she fell asleep to.  
After a while Oswald didn't hear the sound of Sam laughing or obnoxious puppy barks, it was quiet. "Sam?" He got up from the table, and looked around, he checked her bedroom. "Sam?" She wasn't there, Ossy purred and rubbed against Oswald's leg, he bents down and gave Ossy some attention before continuing his search, she wasn't in the kitchen either. He opted the living room. "Sa-" what he saw warmed his heart, Sam was curled up on the couch with Sally, arms around her body protectively. Oswald smiled and walked to the couch, he sat down near Sam's head and ran his hand over her hair, besides his mother, Sam was the only precious thing in his life. Oswald only ever cared for two people. He was glad in a way that Galavan didn't take Sam too, if he did Oswald would have been lost, truly. He wasn't ready to admit it quite yet but he was deeply and truly in love with Samantha Gordon.


	8. Chapter Eight

Sam walked into the meeting room with Sally and jumped back when she saw the knife on the table. "Oh! Jesus! Ozzie, why do you have that?" The knife was large, with a curved blade, sort of ancient looking.   
"Aren't you going to sit?"  
"Not with that knife Oz."   
"Sweetheart, just sit."   
Sam sat down with a huff.   
An old woman walked into the room. Sam turned to Oswald. "Who's that."   
"Edwige."   
"Who?"  
"She's some antique shop owner."  
"Oh."   
"You can pick it up if you like." He told the woman.   
"That's okay, sorry I cant help you."   
"Edwige, I can see you know this knife. You're scared of this knife, why? Why are you lying to me?"  
"I'm not."   
"Madame, if there's one thing I know, its a liar. Now tell me about this knife, or I will use it."   
Edwige hesitates, she turns to Butch who clears his throat.   
"This knife has a cursed history. Almost 200 years ago it was used in a terrible crime. Back then, five families ruled Gotham high society. The Elliot's, the Kane's, the Crowne's, the Dumas and the most powerful of them all, the Wayne's. They called Celestine Wayne the 'crown jewel of Gotham' a real beauty. She was promised to the eldest son of the Elliot family, but there was another who coveted her. Caleb Dumas. One night, during an Easter party at the Wayne Manor, Celestine and Caleb went missing, Wayne men found them together, in an illicit embrace. Caleb insisted that they were in love, and Celestine swore on her mother's grave that Caleb forced himself on her. Justice, if that's what it was, was swift. Celestine's brother Johnathan Wayne delivered the punishment. The Wayne's, they were mad with rage. They seized the Dumas holdings and banished them socially. Destroyed them. Caleb Dumas went into exile overseas, to a penitential religious sect founded by his family's patron saint, Celestine died an old maid. The Wayne's forbade the press from even mentioning the Dumas. They renamed streets and buildings. The remnants of the Dumas family were forced to change their name. The Wayne's wiped the Dumas out of our city's history."  
"Those remnants of the Dumas family, to what did they change their name?"  
"Aren't you quick, Galavan. They changed their name to Galavan, just like that fella running for Mayor. And that's why I'm scared of this knife."   
Oswald looked both pleased and enraged.   
"You're in deep waters, Mr. Penguin."   
Oswald smiled. "Thank you, Edwige. That is where penguins thrive."   
Edwige took her leave.   
Sam also left, she went to take Sally for a walk, she offered for Oswald to join her but he declined. She dressed Sally in a dog coat and boots.   
Sam didn't come back until early evening. Butch was clutching his bloody arm, which was missing his hand, on the table was in fact his hand. Sam let out a scream of alarm. She turned to Oswald. "What did you do?"   
"Butch is going to work for Galavan and find my mother, isn't that right, Butch?"  
"Yes Boss."   
Sam struggled for words, she blinked and left the room.  
Oswald walked into her room, she sat on the bed with Ossy curled up in her lap, he sat beside her. "Oz, I understand the paranoia, but his hand? You couldn't have shot Butch in the leg or something? I mean his hand?"  
Oswald sighed, he scratched Ossy's ears. "I know, I may have overreacted a little."  
Sam scoffed.   
"I'm sorry if I caused you any distress-"  
"Never, Oz."  
He smiled, caught up in the softness of her voice he leaned in to kiss her, Ossy jumped off the bed and left the room, the kiss became heated and Oswald laid Sam down on the bed and climbed almost on top of her. His hand snuck under her shirt, thumb brushing her breast over the silk bralette she wore. He started to kneed the flesh, making her whimper. He adored her breasts, even if she found them to small, he found them the perfect size. Oswald moved his good leg between hers, Sam moaned against his lips and started grinding her hips against his leg. There's a knock on the door, Oswald groans.  
"What?" He yells, annoyed.   
"Mr. Gilzean is back, sir."   
Sam sighed and touched his face, "later."   
Oswald got up and tried to conceal his erection and left the room, Sam smiled, she went to the kitchen and grabbed Oswald and herself a glass of wine.   
"Well?" He asked Butch.   
He sputters and puts his hand on the table, only its a mallet, not a hand.   
"Dear me, a mallet. That's um...useful?"   
"Don't even start."   
"Tell me you bring good news."   
"I'm in. I'm in good."   
"And? And?" Oswald asked, raising his voice.   
"I'm asking questions, but its dangerous. If I push too hard, Galavan will be onto me, I told you he's a smart guy."   
Oswald put his glass down. "Look at me, Butch. Are you my servant?"   
Butch sniffs. "Yes."   
"Do you obey me in all things?"   
"Yes."   
"Then why do you bring me excuses? Go find my mother before I chop off your other hand."  
"Yes boss." Butch leaves.   
Sam leans back in her chair and sighs.   
They waited for Butch to return, Sam spent most of the time training Sally, she was a smart girl and learned quickly. Sam put her in her crate, the crate wasn't a metal box, it was a soft crate filled with toys, pillows and blankets, with enough room for Sally to stand, even when she grows into adulthood. She wrapped her winter cardigan around herself, crossing her arms she went into the meeting room, Oswald was staring into the fire. Sam put her hand on his back but he didn't say anything, he just put his arm around her middle and she put her head on his shoulder. "Butch will be back." She whispered. And he was, Oswald rushed from the fireplace, his face was splattered with blood. "Butch, what happened?"  
"I found your mother." He said.   
Oswald's face turned into one of pure joy and relief. "Where?"   
"In a warehouse down by the port. But they caught me looking."   
Oswald grabbed him by his jacket. "You half-wit! If they kill my mother-"  
"Look, they don't know I'm here. The tiger lady, she wanted to take her time with me, so she chained me up. And I got out. We gotta go now."   
Oswald started chucking. "Yes, yes, yes, good Butch. You've done well. Your loyalty will be rewarded handsomely. I swear it."   
"Yes, boss."  
"Rest here for a minute, and I'll go gather the troops."   
Oswald rushed out. Sam went into the kitchen and she gave Butch a paper towel. "Clean your face."  
"Thank you."   
Sam turned towards the fireplace.  
"You know they're probably going to kill his mother anyway don't you?"  
Sam wrapped her arms around herself, "I pray they don't." She whispered.   
Oswald came back. "Lets go Butch." Sam turned around and walked towards the door. "What do you think you're doing?"  
"I'm coming." She said.   
Oswald rubbed her arms. "No, I can't put you in danger, risk losing you to Galavan. I-"  
"I'm coming." She said and walked towards the car.   
They searched the waterfront.  
"Are you sure this is it?"  
"I'm sure boss."  
Sam put a hand on his shoulder. "Let me go first."   
"Sam."  
"I'm quicker, if she's not there I'll come right back, if shes there I'll call."   
Oswald nodded.   
Sam ran into the warehouse.   
"Mrs. Kapelput?" She called. She heard clanging and soft cries. "Mrs. Kapelput?" She called again.   
"Here! I am here!"   
She ran towards the cell. She knelt down.   
"Hey, oh you're okay, you're okay. Oswald!" She screamed. "Oswald! She's here!"   
Oswald walked into the warehouse with Butch and other men, Sam moved away from the cell.   
"Mother!"  
Oswald reached in to touch her. "You're okay, thank god."   
"Oswald? Is that really you?"   
He nodded vigorously, unable to contain the joy he felt. "Your sweet face. Like a vision."   
"I'm taking you home, okay?" He moves away from the cell but she stretches for him. One of the men gives him bolt cutters. But the lights turn on, Sam snakes her hand in through and makes a motion for Gertrud to grab her hand, trying to reassure her that shes going to be fine. She grabs hold of Sam.   
"And there I was thinking you understood the meaning of consequences." Galavan showed up with Tabitha.  
"Consequences, yes. I assure you that my understanding of consequences will be made quite clear once my mother is outside."   
"But we've had so much fun together."  
"My sister gets attached to her playthings, so I must insist she stay. And those bolt cutters, useless. The only way out of there, is with this." He shows Oswald the key.   
"Very well, Butch, shoot them in the head and grab the key!"  
"Oswald!"  
"Mother, I'm sorry, but what they've done to you will not stand!"  
Butch stood there with the gun.   
"I gave you an order! Shoot them in the head!"   
Butch shoots both of Oswald's men in the head and points the gun at Sam but doesn't have the heart so he shoots her shoulder instead, she screams and lets go of Gertrud's hand. She slumps down. "Sam!"   
Oswald makes a move for her, he bends down and touches her face, she seems dizzy and slightly unresponsive. "Oh no no no, Dove? Sam?" She holds his arms. "Get the key. The key, I'm fine." She said, grimacing at the pain in her shoulder.   
He turns to Butch. "That's not possible, you have to obey me. You have to!"  
"That time is passed, they fixed me."   
"Tabi is well versed in the protocols of conditioning."   
Sam could feel herself slip into unconsciousness, the last thing she heard was Gertrud's voice saying her name. 

 

Sam woke up in her bed, she struggled to a sitting position on the account that Ossy was sitting on her. "Hey baby."   
He meowed. She gave him a few pets and stood up, her shoulder was all bandaged. The butler came in. "You're awake."  
"How long was I out for?"  
"A week."  
"A week?"  
"Yes, ma'am."  
"Is Oswald home? I'd like to speak with him."  
"I'm sorry Ma'am he went out days ago and never came back."  
"What?" 

Sam dressed, she harnessed and leashed Sally.   
"I'm going to go look for him, can you watch Ossy while I'm away?"  
He nodded.   
"Wet food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, dry is only for a snack, treats are when he's good."   
"I understand."   
Gabe showed up however, "I got an address." Sam sighed in relief, he drove them to Ed Nygma's apartment. Sally started barking and whining. "Shh, daddy's okay." She soothed. They reached the apartment building and took the elevator.   
Gabe knocked on the door. Oswald slid it open, "Gabe, when I gave you this address I was not inviting pop-ins."   
"Ozzie!" Sam pushed past Gabe, and gave Gabe Sally to hold, she ran into his arms and he hugged her tightly, laughing into her hair.   
"I didn't think you'd wake up." He said.   
"I thought you were dead."   
They kissed and Gabe cleared his throat.   
"Galavan's been let go."   
Oswald's smile fell. Sam heard something crush in his hand. "Where is he?"   
They left the apartment. In the car Oswald told her what happened to his mother and with Galavan.   
Back at the house Sam dropped off Sally and Oswald washed and dressed. They didn't find Galavan at the pier but two cops beating Jim.   
"Shoot them." Sam whispered to Gabe. He shot both the cops. Oswald walked past them and grabbed Jim by the jacket, he was bruised and bloody.   
"Hello Jim, lucky for you, Gabe had people following Galavan. Now, where is he? Where's Galavan?" Jim passed out. "Tell me! Where is Galavan?" Oswald shook Jim and slapped him, multiple times. Sam put a hand on his shoulder, "lets not kill my brother? Okay?" Oswald nodded and kissed her hand. "Forgive me, I forgot that he was your brother." He said, Sam smiled, "its okay, maybe a couple good smacks will sort him out." She turned to Gabe and nodded at Jim, he gave her the gun and picked Jim up.   
They dropped by Ed's apartment and put Jim on the bed. Ed showed Sam a few pieces on the piano while they waited for Jim to wake up.   
Ed and Oswald sang a song that Sam didn't recognize. Sam came out of the bathroom and found Jim sitting up. "Oh you're alive."  
He turned around. "Sammy?"   
"Hey Jimmy."  
He stood up.   
"Oh, your free to go, of course Jim. Desperate fugitive from the law though you be. But I beg of you, sit and consider. You and I share a bond in Theo Galavan, a passion if you will. If there was ever a time for us to work together, now is that time." 

After a while Sam joined Oswald and Nygma at the table, Jim was staring out the window. Seeing that the table only had two chairs, Sam promptly sat on Oswald's lap, lowering herself slowly, not wanting to hurt his bad leg. He put his arm around her hips and rested his hand on her thigh, he continued to talk to Ed.   
"Oh, seriously?" Jim said, sounding disgusted. "I should lock you up purely from dating my sister."   
Sam smiled, and kissed Oswald's cheek making Jim's lip twitch.   
"Come now Jim, you're sister is a grown woman, more then capable of making her own decisions." He turned to Sam, "how's your shoulder, sweetheart?"  
"Its fine." She said.   
He smiled, "I'm glad."   
Sam actually kissed him, ignoring Ed's smile and Jim's groan. She felt his hand reach for her ass, she stopped it. "Easy." She warned.  
"Apologizes."   
Eventually Ed had to go to work. Oswald called some people and they got ready to go after Galavan. Sam tucked a gun into her belt.   
"Sam."  
She put a finger up to his lips. "I'm going with you."   
"Last time I almost lost you I-"  
"I know you won't let anything bad happen to me, Oswald."   
He nodded, she kissed him briefly.   
There's a knock at the door. Gabe opens it, Lee is standing there confused. He lets her into the apartment. "Lee." Jim greets her.   
"What the hell are you doing?"   
"So this is Lee?" Sam said, Lee eyed her gun.   
"Yes, and you are?"  
"Samantha? Jimmy's sister?"   
Lee blinked.  
"He didn't tell you about me." She pierced her lips and turned to Jim. "You are the worst."   
"You're dating a criminal."  
"You didn't tell your girlfriend about me, that's worse."   
Jim rolled his eyes.  
"Don't you roll your eyes at me James."  
"Oh, James? We're going to play that game are we? Samantha?"   
Sam went to say something else but Oswald put a hand on her shoulder. "Dove, as much as I'd love to see you and Jim fight, now isn't the time."  
Jim sighed and pulled Lee aside. "I need to get you out of town, Penguin has a reliable man who can take you upstate. Things are going to be unsettled here for a while."   
"'Unsettled'?"   
"We're gonna take down Galavan."   
"Are you out of your mind?"  
"Miss Tompkins, I can assure you-"  
Jim puts out his hand to stop him.   
"He has to be stopped, Lee."   
"By you? And these people?"   
Sam waved her fingers and Lee and she looked at her oddly.   
"He has to be stopped."  
"You keep trying to kill yourself. Have I got you all wrong? Are you just crazy?"  
"Lee, take it from his sister, he's always been like this, you can't argue when he's made up his mind."   
She turned back to Jim. "Your on the run from the law. You wanna attack the mayor with the help of a depraved sociopath. That's not crazy?"  
"I can hear you." Oswald said, offended.   
"Shh! Don't speak."   
Sam put her hand on his shoulder.   
"Jim don't do this. Let's get outta town together. I don't care what you've done already, or what you have to leave undone. Lets just go."  
"I can't."  
"Jim please."  
"I can't, I can't let Galavan win this way."   
"I'm pregnant."  
Oswald rolled his eyes.   
"Oh! A baby! Congratulations!" Sam said with a smile. She turned to Oswald who faked a smile for her, "I'm gonna be an aunt! You know I always thought I'd have a baby before Jim but, this is nice."   
"You always thought-" Oswald started.   
"Relax, I don't want a baby, yet anyway, we'll just have to see if we can fit one into our lives."   
"No babies." Jim practically growled at Sam, she rolled her eyes.   
Jim and Lee decided to leave together so they got them a car.   
Oswald shook Jim's hand. "Good luck old friend, see you around."   
"I hope not, goodbye Penguin." He turned to Sam. "You, be good."   
"Was there a time where I wasn't?" She said with a smile. Jim scooped her up in a hug. "Oh! Okay, let me go...Jim."   
"Accept the hug."  
She sighed and hugged him back.   
They let go after a minute, Sam grabbed Oswald's hand and arm.   
"Goodbye Miss Tompkins. Please don't think too badly of me." Oswald said. "We are what we are."   
They shook hands. "That's true, goodbye Mr. Cobblepot."   
"It was nice meeting you, Lee, and congratulations on the baby."   
Lee smiled, "it was nice meeting you too."  
Oswald and Sam turned to walk back inside, "Penguin." They turned around. "You better treat my sister right, because if I have any reason to believe she's being mistreated I will kill you."   
Oswald smiled. "I assure you, no one loves her more then I." He couldn't stop the words from leaving his lips.   
"Really?" Sam asked, she looked up at him in awe.   
"Really."   
She smiled.   
"Come on, its freezing out here my little dove." They go back inside.


	9. Chapter Nine

Jim followed not long after with Harvey, Alfred and Lucius.  
"Jim? I thought you were leaving town?"  
"Change of plans, Galavan has Bruce."  
Sam frowned, "who's the old guy?" She joked, pointing to Harvey.  
"Hardy har-har."  
"Its good to see you Harvey." She turned to Alfred. "Who's this?"  
"Alfred Pennyworth, miss." He held out his hand. "Sam Gordon."  
"Miss Gordon." They shook hands.  
They suited up, Oswald helped Sam into her vest, it was slightly to big but it would do.  
"Thank you."  
He kissed her temple.  
"Everybody set? Lets go."  
"Whoa, whoa, what's the plan?"  
"We get into that building, find Galavan, put a gun in his mouth until he gives up Bruce."  
"Then I kill him slowly." Oswald said.  
"No, Then we arrest him."  
Oswald marches right up to Jim. "Yeah, no. Are you nuts? After all that he has done?"  
"He's going to stand trial. Gotham needs to know who he really is."  
"Gotham needs him dead!"  
"Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, can we just stop the bunny and just first get in there, please, chaps?"  
"Yes, lets go."  
"Seriously thats it? You have no plan? How are you even going to get into the building?"  
"I know a way." They turn their attention to Selina. "Hey Gordon."  
"Selina."  
"I was talking to Sam."  
She smiled, "hey Selina, how are things?"  
"Things are good."  
"Good."  
"Who's she?"  
"Cat that's Fox, Fox that's Cat."  
"Know a way in?" Jim asked.  
"Yeah, I know a way in, Gordon."  
"How do we know you won't stitch us up?" Alfred asks. "I mean you switch sides often enough. How do we know that you're not working with Galavan now?"  
"How do I know your not a martian in a rubber suit?"  
"I trust her, you're in, Cat, thanks for your help, grab a vest, lets go."  
"People surely we should have a backup strategy. Given the strong possibility of failure."  
"Au contraire, Mr. Fox. Failure is not an option."  
"What he said." 

They left the building, Sam grabbed Oswald's free hand. "Stay close." He whispered. "Always."  
They decided to go on foot, Sam thought they looked either badass are idiotic.  
They reached the building and let Cat goes in first. She opened the garage door. "Come on in."  
It was going great until all the stairs, Sam wasn't the best at cardio. Harvey noticed the amount of stairs too. "Oh for Pete's sake."  
Half way up chanting could be heard.  
"What the hell is that?" Harvey asked. Sam listened closely, "death to the son of Gotham." She said.  
"Is that what that is?"  
"Yes Harvey."  
The chanting stops.  
Jim breaks open the door and they go in, guns ready, Galavan leaves with Silver.  
"Sacrilege!" The monk yells.  
The monks charge for them, Sam gets a few good shots in, she hadn't used a gun since she was 14, the last time Jim took her to a shooting range, and she had to admit it felt good. She was unaware at how much she was laughing as she wasted a round on one man, something snapped, she wasn't sure what, maybe she broke again even after the doctors said they fixed her, nevertheless the enjoyed seeing his brains pool on the floor.  
Oswald was just staring at her, mouth open, she looked at him, splattered in the mans blood. "What?"  
"I love you." He said, he went to kiss her but Alfred cleared his throat.  
"Drop the knife old man, its over." Jim said.  
"So it would seem." Before he could pounce he was shot, they turned around to face Harvey.  
"That was a lot of stairs."  
Oswald and Sam took the opportunity and left to find Galavan.  
They found him in his penthouse, he was on the ground cuffed, Jim was on the ground hands on his head. Sam took out the cop in the vest and Oswald hit captain Barnes over the head with something, Sam didn't see what.  
Jim stood up and grabbed his gone.  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Nobody shoot! We're all friends here."  
Jim held his gun up to Oswald. "Like hell, we are."  
"Jimmy, put the gun down, nice and easy."  
He looked at his sister, hair a mess, blood splattered on her face and body, eyes seemed feral, like it was her prom night all over again when they found her in the alley.  
"I apologize for that." Oswald pointed to Barnes. "But there we are. Done now. They're still alive, that's something. Look foreword now, Jim. What now? I will kill you to get to him if I have to."  
Sam squeaked, Oswald turned to her, she pouted, "I won't." He whispered to her. Oswald took a few steps. "Forget that this man sicced Barbara Kean on you. Forget that he nearly killed the mother of your child. Forget revenge. Think of the greater good, think of Gotham. He has the courts in his pocket and billions of dollars at his command. Are you 100% sure that he won't beat this and walk free again? Are you sure Jim? Think of Gotham."  
Theres a voice from a radio. "Captain. Bravo team. In the vicinity of the penthouse."  
"But think fast."  
Jim lowed his gun.  
"Yay! I knew you'd make the right decision Jimmy!" She turned to Oswald, still feeling the rush from earlier. "Where are we gonna kill him?"  
Oswald looked at her in amazement. "I love you."  
Sam laughed and smiled at him. "So you said."  
Oswald had the perfect place in mind, down by the water, by the warehouse where his mother was killed.  
Sam got out of the car and skipped over to the trunk, Jim and Oswald joined her, Jim opened the trunk.  
"You're a man of conscience Jim, you'll regret this."  
Sam reached in and pinched Galavan's nose. "No he won't."  
The boys took Galavan from the trunk and Sam grabbed the bat. She gave it to Oswald and Jim lead Galavan away from the car and dropped him to his knees.  
"Oh well, here we are. Shame, its gonna be a beautiful morning."  
"This is for my mother." He started savagely beating him with the bat, Sam stood there, amused and dare she say a little aroused at the man's pain, Jim just watched his sister, and it hurt him to see how one night could make her come undone, even after years of intense therapy, just to see her snap again, it was almost to much for him.  
"Kill me, please." Galavan begged.  
"Enough, that's enough." Jim stopped Oswald.  
Sam got her first proper look at him, his face bruised and bloody, "no," she said, "I don't think he suffered enough." She grabbed the bat and went to swing but Jim stopped her. "Sam no, it would kill me to lock you away again." Sam sighed and put down the bat.  
Jim turned back to Galavan and shot him.  
"Sam!" Oswald shouted, she went over to the car and grabbed his umbrella. She looked to Galavan, "he's still alive, make it hurt." She gave him his umbrella and watched as he shoved it down Galavan's throat.  
"Lets go home." He said.  
"Yes, home is good."  
They made love for the first time that night, they couldn't contain themselves, the excitement from the nights events just took over. 

Sam woke up facing Oswald, he was already looking at her.  
"Hi." She whispered.  
"Hi." He said.  
They got dressed but found the mansion completely empty, Sam went outside and picked up the paper, in the paper were two wanted ads, one for Oswald, and one for herself.  
"Oz." 

 

Sam and Oswald ran to Ed, he opened the door.  
"Hey, whats up." Sam handed Ed her cat and put Sally on the floor. "I need you to watch my babies, Oswald and I have to go into hiding for a while, we don't know how long, I brought beds, toys and food, as well as Sally's coat and boots, Sally's bed is heated, only turn it on after walks, Ossy is a good boy, he sleeps a lot and he knows how to get water from the sink, so don't worry if you forget to fill his bowl."  
"Right, okay."  
She handed him a note book. "Everything else you need to know is in there."  
"Don't worry Miss Gordon, I will take excellent care of them."  
Sam nodded and said her goodbyes.  
"Thank you Ed." They left the apartment. 

 

Almost a month, they were on the streets.  
Sam noticed a police cruiser and clicked her tongue, Oswald and Sam hid their faces as it drove past.  
"Come on."  
They started walking, but they didn't get very far. Captain Barnes found them, Oswald and Sam knew fighting would be useless so they went quietly. When they arrived at the precinct there was applause.  
"Silence!" They stopped. "What are you a bunch of cheerleaders? This is not a game! This is our job! And this specimen." He shook Oswald a little. "This is just one sad pathetic skell."  
"He's not pathetic, you are." Sam spat. He ignored her and they walked, Sam saw Jim following them.  
"There are plenty of scumbags out there. Plenty."  
They were uncuffed and put in separate holding cells. "So stop waving your pom-poms and go catch some!"  
"Yes stare all you want, big whoop."  
Sam slumped down on the bench and put her head in her hands.  
"Sam?" She looked up at Oswald.  
"I'm sorry, I am so sorry, Sam I-" she cut him off.  
"Oswald, we said that we would ride or die with each other, do you know what that means? I'm with you, no matter what, good and bad, this," the gestured to the holding cell, "is just a blip. I promised I would be there for you always, and I meant it."  
"You'll stay with me? Even now?"  
"Yeah."  
"Promise?"  
"I promise, we're forever Oswald Cobblepot."  
He went to kiss her through the bars but a cop cleared his throat.  
They brought them to two different interrogation rooms. Barnes had her hands cuffed to the table. He sat down with her file.  
"Second degree murder charges for the brutal deaths of Tyler Adams and Marcy Jones, stabbed them both 60 times, their insides were practically outside." He showed her the picture, she scoffed, "I already did my time for that."  
Barnes closed the file.  
"Where were you the night Galavan was killed?"  
"Well, after I turned a Monks head to mush, Oswald and I went looking for Galavan, I knocked out you fellow officer, and Oswald got you. Then we took Galavan to the river and beat him until we put a bullet in him and shoved an umbrella down his throat. In my opinion it was over to quickly." She didn't bother acting innocent, she showed Barnes what she was, all of what she was, her eyes were feral and filled with bloodlust. Barnes backed up in his chair, Sam laughed.  
"Where was Jim on the night of Galavans murder?"  
"Why? Where did he say he was?"  
"I'm asking you."  
"I don't know where Jimmy was, I was to busy listening to the sound the bat made when it came into contact with Galavans body, it was almost like a...crunch."  
Barnes looked at her disgusted. "You're insane."  
"What you gonna send me to the looney bin?"  
"Yes."  
Sam smiled. "Good."  
They tossed her back in the holding cell, cuffing her hands this time.  
"Sam?" Jim walked up to the bars, she stood herself up. "Hey Jimmy!" She said, almost in a dreamlike state.  
"Whats happening?"  
"I'm going to Arkham, but don't worry I'll be free in no time, its just like Barbara taught me, my beauty can be a weapon, I'll just use it on the doctors at Arkham and they'll let me out."  
"They shouldn't let you out back in New York in the first place."  
"Ohh, you don't mean that Jimmy."  
"I don't know who you are anymore."  
"Oh, I've always been this way, manipulative, sadistic, masochistic, slightly narcissistic, charming, among other things, I've always had the skills to make people like me, I just had to act sweet, innocent, it worked, even I started to believe that's what I was, until I killed that maid that flirted with Oswald."  
"What maid?"  
Sam smiled.  
"Sam? What did you do?"  
"I cut off her hands and slit her throat. I don't remember where I buried the body though." Jim backed away from the cell. "Who are you?" He started walking away. "Don't walk away from me Jimmy! Jim!"  
Eventually they were let out. "On your feet, Cobblepot."  
"Where are you taking me?"  
"Arkham, you're insane right?"  
Oswald saw two cops go into Sam's cell and stand her up. "Its time."  
"Where are you taking her?" Oswald asked.  
"I'm coming with you." She said.  
When they arrived at Arkham, Sam looked out the window and the crows flying overhead.  
Sam was lead away from Oswald, into her own cell where she changed into the striped dress and gave the guard her old clothes. It was lunch time so she rejoined Oswald and entered the mess hall, eyes were on them, and they whispered. Someone threw food at Oswald, and he looked for the inmate responsible. The man pointed and laughed, "Penguin pie!" Others joined him in laughter, Oswald stood up on the table. "There seems to be some confusion! My name is Oswald Cobblepot. Many of you no doubt, will have heard of me. Some of you clearly have not. For those poor ignorant souls, I offer illumination, I am not a man to be trifled with. No." He chuckled. "I am powerful, I am vicious, I am the king of Gotham."  
"I am the king of Gotham." An inmate shouted, another followed, "I am the king of Gotham!"  
They got fired up, stood on the tables, shouting. Sam was bumped into and shoved, she growled and pushed a woman, who fell down.  
She went over and sat next to Oswald. 

She met with the doctor. "Miss Gordon, please, have a seat. I am Doctor Strange. Chief of Psychiatry here at Arkham." They shook hands. "Call me Sam."  
"Alright, Sam. I looked at your file and I must say, I am intrigued by you. I think you might be a candidate for our new form of therapy."  
"Good luck, doc. I've tried them all."  
"Not this one you haven't."  
She raised an eyebrow.

 

Sam went into the room quietly and sat down in the chair, they strapped her in.  
"I must say, you're handling this much better then your man Cobblepot."  
Sam smiled at the woman. "Lets just say, this isn't my first rodeo." They put the collar around her neck. "This is new."  
Miss. Peabody held up the wood gag. "Open." She said, Sam complied, she bit down on the wood. She went over and picked up some sort of virtual reality thing and put it over her eyes, it was dark for a moment. The shocks are soft but then she turns the machine up and Sam screams, what she sees is both pleasant and unpleasant but she passes out before she can make anything of it. Later she's sitting in a circle playing duck duck goose of all things.  
The inmate kept going around saying duck. Oswald was sitting on her right and started laughing. "Thank God, it was only a dream."  
"No it happened." Sam said, he looked at her wide-eyed.  
"Did they?"  
"I was a candidate too, Strange loved my file." Sam growled when the man taped her head to hard.  
"Duck."  
He taps Oswald. "Goose." Oswald looks at him.  
"You're supposed to chase me. You're the goose."  
"No, no. I'm a penguin."  
He pointed at Oswald and shouted. "Goose! Goose!" He started crying. Miss. Peabody walked over. "Problem?"  
"He's not being the goose."  
"Its fun to participate in group, Mr. Cobblepot. You should try."  
Oswald laughed humourlessly. "Yes, yes, I'd be glad to." He stammered, standing up. "What is is they want me to do?"  
"Be the goose."  
"Okay." He started flapping his arms like wings, Sam cracked a smile. They continued the game, Sam was goose as chosen by Oswald and they ran around the chairs, she giggled and skipped. Sam saw Jim and she stopped and got excited. "Jim!" She screamed excitedly, she tried to walk over but Miss Peabody put a hand on her shoulder, "continue the game please." Sam nodded and ran after Oswald. He sat in her chair but she sat on him, he squeezed her hips making her giggle. "You pick now." Sam stood up, "duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck." She kept going around the circle, giggling. 

Sam was escorted back to her cell.  
"Be good." The guard told her.  
"I'm always good."  
She resumed spinning string onto the popsicle sticks.  
Her door opened and Jim walked in. "Jimmy! What a lovely surprise!" He sat down in her chair.  
"What did they do to Cobblepot?"  
"Oh, we're part of this new therapy process, they strap us to chairs and put this thing on our heads, it shocks us and makes us see stuff."  
"What did you see?"  
"I don't remember...but they put me on this medication that makes me overly joyful. Its wonderful." She laughed.  
Jim wasn't convinced, "uh-huh. I just came to check on you." He got up to leave. "I'll visit some other time." The door closes.  
She's let out again in the morning. She sat down with her breakfast tray and kissed Oswald's cheek. 

 

They escorted her to the chair room. "More therapy?" She asked, they sat her down and strapped her in. "Okie dokie." She braced herself for the mask.  
She was met with her deepest regret, she was tied to a hospital bed.  
"How are you feeling?"  
Her mother was sitting in the chair.  
"Maman?"  
"Why did you kill me, Mon amour?"  
"Maman?"  
"Why? Don't you love your maman?"  
"Yes, thats why I did it. Because I love you."  
Sam saw herself show up behind her mother.  
"No...no!"  
Her therapy self shot her mother and Sam screamed.  
"How is her behaviour?" Strange asked.  
"Joyful, friendly, sweet."  
"Her appetite?"  
"A little low, nothing to be concerned about." 

Oswald walked in and sat next to Sam with ice cream.  
"Where did you get that?" She asked.  
"I don't know, they just gave it to me."  
"Really? Can I have some?"  
"Oh, of course, anything for you." She was about to take some when the man in front of Oswald also noticed the ice cream. "Ice cream? Why do you have ice cream?"  
"I don't know. Its unusual isn't it? My names Oswald, whats yours?"  
"I don't have ice cream. Why do you have ice cream?"  
"Please by all means, you can-"  
He started pounding on the table. "I don't have ice cream! Why do you have ice cream?" He yelled, he got up and towered over Oswald, making him shrink down.  
"I apologize sir, I don't-"  
He picked Oswald up and put him on the table. Sam stood up. "Stop!" She tried to get the man off her boyfriend but he pushed her away, he keeps shouting about ice cream.  
The gate opens and they get the man off Oswald.  
"Ozzie! Are you okay?"  
He trembles and nods.  
"Oh, poor baby." Sam smooths his hair away from his face. 

She met up with Strange, he gave her the same test words as Oswald.  
"Blood?"  
"Life."  
"Throat?"  
"Speak."  
"Cat?"  
"Kitten."  
"Mother?"  
"Nurture."  
"Crime?"  
"Punishment."  
"Revenge?"  
"Remorse."  
"Good, good. You're doing very well Sam, very well indeed."  
"Really?"  
"Yes my dear."  
Sam smiled.  
"Tell me, dear what would you do if you got out?"  
Sam thought for a moment. "What about Oswald?"  
He sighed, "okay, say, if you were released with Oswald, what would you do?"  
"Settle down, maybe reopen my tattoo business, have a little house with my-our cat Ossy and our dog Sally. Maybe marriage and a couple kids?"  
Strange smiled. "Good, good, you're thinking healthy."  
Sam smiled.  
"Just a few more therapy sessions and you'll be fit to re-enter society."  
"More therapy?"  
"Yes, my dear."  
Sam's therapy went swimmingly, she had another test, they had an inmate talk nasty about Oswald and herself, they gave her a knife, but the words just made her cry, the inmate apologized and they had a lovely chat.  
She was called to Strange's office.  
"Congratulations Sam."  
"Sir?"  
"This is an official certificate from Gotham Board of Health and Hygiene, it states that Samantha Gordon has passed all mandated tests, and by the laws of Gotham City is hereby declared, sane." He handed her the certificate.  
"I'm sane? I'm okay?"  
"Yes my dear, you're as normal as any other citizen. Do you know what this means?"  
"I can go?"  
"Yes."  
Sam got excited. "I can go home!" She stood up and hugged Miss Peabody. "I'm sorry."  
"Its alright my dear."  
She turned back to Strange.  
"Why don't you go back to your room and get your stuff?"  
Sam nodded. She walked back to her room.  
Strange smiled outside his door.  
"You are aware that she's faking it, are you not?"  
"Yes, I am well aware, her kind cannot be fixed."  
"Why are you releasing her?"  
"Wait and see, Miss Peabody, wait and see."


	10. Chapter Ten

She was standing at the doors when Oswald came down the hallway. "Ozzie!"  
Oswald smiled and rushed for her. "You too?"  
She showed him her certificate. "Yup."  
When they stepped outside it was raining.  
"Oh, I've missed the rain."  
Oswald grabbed her hand, "lets go." They heard the gate close behind them, Sam took one last look.  
They walked into town and bought a few cupcakes, they walked to their old home, Sam waited outside.  
Oswald came out of the house covered in feathers.  
"Ozzie! What happened? What did they do?"  
"They accepted my apology, I thought there were gonna kill me but they let me live."  
Sam reached up and touched his face. "Lets go visit Ed, hey?"  
Oswald nodded. 

They knocked on his door. He slid it open, Sally saw Sam and came over, tail waging, Sam bent down. "Hi sweetheart! Oh you got so big! Look at you! Such a big girl!" Ossy came for the door, lazily. "You got fat big boy."  
He meowed. Ed lead them into the apartment. Oswald and Ed were talking and Sam spent the time with her pets, but eventually they had to go.  
"Ed, can I entrust them in your care? Just for a little while longer? Until we have somewhere to live?"  
"Oh yes, of course."  
"Thank you."  
Sam linked arms with Oswald and they got into the elevator. "Lets get you cleaned up, we'll stay at a hotel for a while, maybe get some new clothes and in a while I can see if any tattoo parlours are hiring."  
Oswald kissed her forehead. "Sounds wonderful."  
Sam hated seeing Oswald like this, calm, gentle, submissive. Oswald thinks their both rehabilitated but Sam faked it, all of it, but it was the only way to get herself out of Arkham with Oswald.  
They found a little motel, Sam left him to get washed up and she went shopping, she got him a few new suits and herself some new clothes.  
In the morning he wanted to visit his mother's grave so Sam agreed, she figured she'd visit her parents. She dressed in a button up blouse in a sea foam green, black pencil skirt, blazer, peacoat and heels. She grabbed her purse and umbrella and they left. When at the cemetery Sam tried giving him the umbrella but he insisted she keep it. They separated and she went to find her parents.  
Sam saw another man enter the cemetery with flowers. But she found her parents and turned to her mothers headstone.  
"Hello maman." She paused, not knowing what to say next. "I'm sorry about killing you but I had too, couldn't see you suffer anymore. Unfortunately you've been right all these years, I really am crazy. I even went to Arkham. But at least I still have Oswald, I've always had Oswald. I-"  
"Sam!"  
She turned around, Oswald was waving to her, he was standing with the man from earlier. Sam tightened her coat around her body and walked to Oswald.  
"Is everything okay?"  
"Yes, yes it is. Father, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Samantha."  
"My, aren't you a beauty." He held out his hand.  
Sam was confused, but shook Elijah's hand anyway. "Father? Ozzie, you told me your father was dead."  
"That's what I thought too."  
Sam looked up at Elijah and smiled, "well it seems we've made a good choice by coming to the cemetery today."  
"Elijah Van Dahl, do you prefer Samantha?"  
"Sam, please."  
"Sam, I invited Oswald home with me, would you care to join us?"  
"Yes, that would be wonderful." 

 

Elijah's house was huge, very Victorian in design.  
"Wow." She whispered.  
"You like it?"  
"Its wonderful."  
The interior was much more magnificent. Elijah showed Sam to the room she'd be sharing with Oswald, she shrugged off her coat and blazer, and had a look around.  
"Oswald is washing up, in the meantime why don't we have a drink?"  
"Yes, that's nice." They left the room, somehow this felt like one big dream, and she'd wake up alone in her cell but the wake up point never came.  
"Whats your poison?" Elijah asked.  
"brandy, whiskey or wine."  
He poured her a brandy.  
"I hope you don't mind but I've had he liberty of having a soup made before dinner, it's alright if you're not hungry."  
"Oh, no its fine, soup sounds lovely."  
They sat and she talked about Oswald.  
"Oh yeah, he was a total dork when I first met him, but he was also very sweet."  
"How long have you known each other?"  
"14 years."  
"14 years, that long?"  
"Yes, we were friends 13 out of the 14, this found intimacy is new."  
"Why did it take you both so long?"  
Sam shrugged. "I don't know."  
"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"  
"Oh, I'm 29."  
"29? Really? You look so young."  
"Thank you, I'm flattered, but its only because I'm so short."  
They shared a laugh. Oswald came downstairs in a black and gold robe with a matching hat.  
"Its good you two are getting along." He kissed Sam's cheek and sat down. Elijah told them the story of how he met Gertrud.  
"Gertrud came to work as a cook for my parents. She was so young and beautiful. So full of life. So beautiful, I was young then too, a boy really, a foolish, romantic boy. When my parents found out, they forbade us from being together. I was the heir to a great fortune, they said. And she was just a cook. I threatened to run away with her. Turn my back on my family name and my inheritance. It was the first and only time I ever stood up to them. They must have known my words were just that, a spoiled child, making idle threats. The next day Gertrud was gone. My parents had told me only that they had come to an arrangement, she would be taken care of, and I must never make an attempt to find her. And to my shame, I didn't. I let them separate us. I had no idea. She never told me she was pregnant. She didn't tell me about you. If she did-"  
"She told me that my father had died when I was still a baby."  
"Easier then the truth I suppose. That your father was a coward who wouldn't stand up to his parents. She must have figured that the two of you would be better off making your own way. Which in fact, is probably the truth. Look at you, a strong young man." They stood. "She did a good job, didn't she?"  
"She tried."  
"We both miss her terribly." They hugged.  
Sam didn't want to spoil the father-son moment so she slipped out of the room quietly and went to the bedroom she would be sharing with Oswald.  
She sat on the bed, took of her heels and rubbed her feet. She undressed and stepped in the bathroom, she bathed and went back into the bedroom, Oswald was picking up her discarded clothes and folding them. "What are you doing?" She asked.  
"Oh, you left and I wanted to make sure you were okay."  
"Oh yeah, I'm fine, I just thought I was imposing on the moment."  
Oswald smiled, "my father really likes you."  
"You think?"  
"Yes."  
There was a knock on the door, "I'll get it." Oswald opened it, there was indistinct whispering, Oswald shut the door and turned around with a folded clothes. "Apparently this are Sasha's old clothes that don't fit her anymore, father thought they looked small enough for you, he also said that we'd all meet in the sitting room in half an hour.  
"Okay." Sam took the clothes and put them on the bed, she dropped her towel, Oswald moved to cover his eyes. "Oz, you've seen me naked once before, its okay."  
He lowered his hand and watched her dress. He let out a small moan when she had her back turned to him, zipping up the dark purple dress. She did her hair quickly and they went downstairs.  
"You must be Samantha, I'm Grace." They shook hands. "Hi."  
"Oh my, aren't you...painted." She said referring to Sam's tattoos.  
"Um, yes it would appear so."  
"So, are you Oswald's wife? Fiancée?"  
"No, just his girlfriend."  
"Really?" Grace looked down on Sam. "Look at you, so small and thin. I'd kill to have a body like yours."  
Sam laughed awkwardly. Oswald came to her rescue with a glass of champagne. "Thank you." She whispered, Grace looked Sam up and down once more before taking a seat.  
"A toast." Elijah started. "I want to thank you all for your generosity, you have welcomed Oswald into our family with open arms and open hearts. And for that I am truly blessed."  
"To family, uh, you guys have made me the happiest man on the planet." Sam nudged him with her hip playfully and smiled. "I am so grateful."  
"To family."  
They all toasted, Sam gave Oswald a kiss on the cheek. Sam's cellphone started ringing, "excuse me."  
She walked into the hallway. "Harvey?"  
"Jim was arrested."  
"What?"  
"He's in blackgate."  
"Did they arrest him for Galavan?"  
"For the death of Officer Pinkney."  
"What?"  
"Someone set up your brother and now he's doing time in that shithole for someone else."  
"But who would want to set up Jim?"  
"You can't think of anyone?"  
"No."  
Harvey sighed. "I will find out who did this."  
"I don't doubt you, your a good detective."  
"And you're a good woman, you know if you ignore the obvious issues. See you around."  
"See you." She snapped the phone shut.  
Sam walked back into the sitting room.  
"What was that about?" Oswald asked.  
"I'll tell you later."  
Elijah informed them that supper was ready, Sam took her spot beside Oswald and Elijah.  
Charles was telling them a story about how he sae a ghost.  
"It's true, I swear it. Clear as day, a ghost. She was this pale old woman in a long black dress she was this close." He gestured the closeness to Oswald.  
"What did you do?"  
"Oh, I ran away screaming of course."  
They shared a laugh.  
"Do you believe in ghosts Oswald?"  
"Yes, I do. I've seen them."  
"This house has several of them. But don't worry, they're all quite friendly."  
"Don't listen to him, there are no ghosts here."  
"Oh theres ghosts alright. This house was built by my grandfather. He died here, his wife and two sisters also passed away upstairs. And my poor dear parents. Yes, many ghosts."  
"How did you meet?" Oswald asked.  
"That's a boring story, really." Grace insisted.  
"No, let me tell it, dear. After my mother died, I sat alone in this house for months, barely got out of bed in fact, finally I found a diner not to far from here. I'd go there everyday at the same time and order the same thing."  
"Chicken soup and a seltzer."  
"Grace was my waitress. And I grew very fond of her. She told me of her two poor children, Sasha and Charles. And how they suffered at the hands of their abusive father. I had to help, I offered her refuge and she accepted. And this house heard laughter once again. Then one thing led to another, love blossomed, and here we are."  
Oswald and Sam exchanged smiles at the sweet story.  
"But you are my only true blood relative Oswald."  
Sasha crushes a glass with her hand, making everyone jump.  
"Oh, my poor dear! Are you hurt at all?"  
"No, no. I'm fine."  
"Clumsy girl, so Samantha, tell us about yourself."  
Sam sighed, "what do you want to hear?"  
"What about your parents?"  
"Oh, um...my father died when I was...I guess I was around 6 at the time. And my mother died recently."  
"What did your parents do?"  
"My dad was a district attorney and my mother was a stay at home parent. I have a brother named Jim."  
"Where are your parents from?"  
"My fathers family is from Gotham and my mothers is from France but she was born in the city."  
"Really? What was her maiden name?"  
"Beauvais."  
"Do you speak French?"  
"No, mother never taught us, though I did however call my mother, maman."  
Grace smiled.  
"How did you meet Oswald?"  
"High school."  
"Really? How long was that 10 years?"  
"More like 14."  
"You mean the two of you have been together over a decade and you're still not married?"  
"Oh! Oh no, no um, we've been friends for that long, this romance is new."  
Grace hummed. "And what is it that you do?"  
"I'm an artist, but I turned that into tattoos and I ran a shop through my apartment."  
"How many tattoos do you have?"  
"26 last time I counted."  
Grace went to say something else but Elijah interrupted, "I think that's enough questions for one night my dear." Elijah held up his glass, "to family."  
"Family."  
After dinner Sam took another bath, she thought about dinner, how the word married got tossed around, how Grace asked her if she was Oswald's wife or fiancée at least, and she seemed to judge Sam when she said that they weren't married. Her mind drifted elsewhere without her control, it was the night she lost her virginity to Oswald, she came out of the shower and his hands were all over her, he seemed to learn all of her bodily secrets in that one night. Sam's hands drifted between her legs and she pleasured herself at the memories, how he took control, how dominating he was, and Sam loved it.  
She was about to climax when Oswald walked into the bathroom. She moved her hand away embarrassed, Oswald just stood there. "Oswald! I didn't hear you come in."  
He smiled, "I apologize, I should have knocked." Sam stepped out of the bath and dried off with a towel.  
They changed into comfortable sleepwear and crawled into bed.  
Oswald woke up in the middle of the night screaming it startled Sam awake.  
"Oz! Ozzie, what is it?"  
"I'm sorry, just a bad dream, go back to sleep,  
love." Oswald got out of bed and put on his robe, he stopped to kiss her and left the room. Sam curled up again. She smiled soundly when he came back to bed, they laid together her back against his front, Sam stroked his knuckles with her thumb before falling back asleep. 

In the early afternoon she sat in the living room watching Oswald and Elijah play Gin. Elijah let her call Ed about her pets, he regretfully informed her that Ossy had run away, Sam was saddened by this but she was grateful that she still had Sally, so this morning Elijah drove Sam to fetch her dog. "She's beautiful." He said, "what breed?"  
"Italian Greyhound." 

"Gin." Elijah said, snapping Sam from her train of thought, she looked up and saw Grace and her children, no longer feeling amused.  
"Elijah, brace yourself. I'm afraid we had some bad news."  
"Oh dear."  
"Charles was at the public library today."  
"Research for the novel I'm writing. I was reading some old news papers and I made an alarming discovery."  
"My dear, Oswald is not the nice, young man he says he is. If we didn't lead such sheltered lives here, we would know what the whole world knows. He's a notorious criminal. We've been sheltering a killer."  
She showed him the paper. Oswald hung his head.  
"We could've all been raped and murdered in our beds."  
Sam went to stand up but Elijah held his hand out. She handed him the paper.  
"They call you the Penguin?"  
Oswald stood up and they backed up, away from him.  
"To be fair, I never raped anybody."  
"Oh, well that's a mercy now isn't it?"  
"My son told me about his past. He just didn't tell me how famous he was. You're too modest, son."  
"Elijah, a violent criminal in our house?"  
"Technically you have two." Sam said standing up, "but we are rehabilitated, I assure you."  
"Yes, relax Grace my dear, he's changed, redeemed, you're not this man anymore are you?"  
"No, sir, and Sam isn't the woman she used to be either, I can assure you."  
What Oswald didn't know was that Sam hadn't changed at all, she was just playing the doctors game.  
"But how do you know they're not? That he's not?"  
"I've looked into his soul, I've seen his beautiful heart. And he loves and trusts Samantha, and so shall I."  
Grace and her children leave.  
"'The dapper Gangland Kingpin'! Oh!" Elijah said, reading the paper. 

 

Sam woke up before Oswald the next morning and went into the bathroom to wash up. Sam heard a thump and the sound of broken glass. She dried her hands with a towel and walked out of the bathroom, "Ozzie? What was that noise?"  
What she saw made her raise her eyebrows. Oswald was on the other side of the room, clinging to the little table while Sasha sat on the bed looking confused in lingerie.  
She gave Sasha a poisonous smile and she promptly left the room.  
"Sam, I'm sorry I-"  
"Don't worry about it, it was her, not you." She kissed his cheek and went to finish up in the bathroom.  
Sam heard opera music and walked in Elijah's office, where he's making Oswald a suit. "Sam!" Oswald greeted with a smile. "How do I look?"  
"Dashing as always."  
He smiled and hummed at her approval.  
"Uh, my dear, could you come back later? I hoped you wouldn't see it until its finished."  
"Of course Elijah. See you later Oswald." She left the room. She went into the kitchen, she smiled at the cook, "I'm a bit peckish, do you mind?" She asked kindly.  
"Oh not at all ma'am, would a sandwich be sufficient?"  
"That would be lovely, no meat however."  
She nodded and got to work.  
Sam heard Oswald calling for help. "Put that sandwich on hold for me please." She rushed out of the kitchen. She was the first one in the room. Elijah was passed out in the chair, Oswald looked panicked.  
"What happened?"  
Oswald stumbled over his words, unable to form a proper sentence. 

They called a doctor and they waited for him to wake up. When he did Grace handed him a glass of water, Sam is standing on the other side of the room with Oswald. The doctor walked up to Oswald. "His condition has gotten worse. The hole has gotten bigger and now there's an infection."  
Sam gasped and in a cliché type of way, brought her hand up to her lips to muffle the gasp, she looked up at Oswald. Oswald looked like he might go into shock. Elijah started coughing.  
"I've given him antibiotics and rehydrated him, but I fear it will have little consequence. Its time for him to get his affairs in order. He may not have long."  
Oswald couldn't speak, Sam put a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, doctor." Oswald buried his face in her hair. She tried to sooth him. He let go and walked over to Elijah.  
"I'm going to have them make you some nice chicken soup, you need your strength." Grace said.  
"How kind."  
Grace got up from the bed.  
"Come here, my boy." Oswald sat down on the bed.  
"Don't listen to doctors, son. I've proved them wrong so many times I've lost count."  
Oswald gave a tearful laugh.  
"You and I will have many more years to spend together. Trust me. But perhaps we should speak with my lawyer, dear. I have some things I'd like to go over with him. So much has changed these past weeks."  
"Of course, I'll have him stop by." 

In the evening the went down to see Grace, Sasha and Charles.  
"Hello, hello. Father is feeling much better. But he is resting and will not be joining us tonight."  
"Well that's fine, lets eat, hmm?"  
They sat down, Sam grimaced at the meat on her plate and ate around it.  
"You don't like beef?" Sasha asked.  
"I'm a vegetarian."  
"Oh how long?"  
"Almost my entire life."  
"Really?"  
Sam nodded.  
"So you don't..." she leaned closer to Sam's ear, "give him fellatio?" She whispered, Sam choked on her wine.  
"Sam? Are you alright?"  
"I'm fine." She coughed. "I'm fine." 

Elijah came down later that night, Sam excused herself to leave the bathroom. But before she could Oswald grabbed her wrist and puckered his lips, Sam smiled, "needy today, aren't we?" She gave him a kiss and rubbed his shoulder. She left for the bathroom.  
Sam heard commotion and ran back to the sitting room, Oswald was holding Elijah, he was groaning and foaming at the mouth. She ran over to Oswald and knelt down beside him. Elijah stopped moving, Sam reached for his neck to feel for a pulse, but felt nothing, she didn't know Elijah long but she grew attached to him, she even thought of him as a possible father in law. Oswald turned to Sam with teary eyes. "Is he?" He asked, Sam felt herself tear up at the pain in Oswald's voice. "I'm sorry, baby." She said, voice cracking with emotion.  
Oswald screamed.


	11. Chapter Eleven

The funeral service was sweet and short, Elijah didn't have many friends. Sam held onto Oswald's trembling hand the entire time, Sally sat in Oswald's lap, trying to give some comfort, she would lick is face or hand and he would pat her on the head. She went up with him as he said his goodbyes.   
"Father, I only knew you a short time. But you came to me in this cold, dark world. You gave me a family, I will never forget you as long as I live." He was crying to hard to say anything else, he clung to Sam like she was his lifeline. 

After the service they wheeled Elijah out, Oswald carried the flowers. Oswald turned around and hugged Grace.   
"He loved us all, so much."   
"Indeed."   
Sam studied Grace and her children, and how unfeeling they seemed, she knew something was up, Grace must have done something, but she couldn't confront Oswald about this without evidence, regardless of how much he trusts her.   
"But, Oswald, Oswald." Grace chuckled and pulled Oswald off her. "As painful as this is, we need to talk practicalities. Um, can I call you both a cab or will you take the bus?"   
"I don't understand."  
"Well you're not returning to the house with us."  
"But where shall I-we go?"   
"Anywhere, but there." Charles buts in.   
"Oswald, I'm so happy that you and you're father reconnected, but he left the house and the estate to me, and I'm, well I'm simply not comfortable sleeping under the same roof as convicted murderers." They walk past them.   
"But we're not like that anymore." Oswald insisted. "I couldn't hurt a fly even if I wanted to. Please. He wanted us to be together, he told me. Let me stay, I'll do anything."   
"You are his blood, and we do need help around the house."  
"Mother."  
"Mother."  
"Why waste good money on servants when we have Oswald." She turned to Sam. "And Samantha."   
"I'll do anything!" Oswald insisted.   
"Well, you can start by getting rid of those disgusting flowers. I've always detested lilies."   
"Yes, of course."   
Sam left with Oswald, her suspicions were right, Grace had something to do with Elijah's death, she was going to find out what. Finding it cold Sam picked up Sally and put her in her coat. They got rid of the lilies and waited for Grace and her children. 

They had Sam dress in a maids uniform, just for fun. "I feel ridiculous." She said, Oswald wrapped her up in his arms. "I think you look like Cinderella."   
She smiled and turned, putting her arms around his neck. "Thank you." She kissed him and wiggled free, she grabbed her cleaning supplies and left the room.   
When she was finished scrubbing all the bathrooms she went into Elijah's bedroom, she felt awkward being in there, but she needed clues. She came across his medication, one of the bottles had little white pills, she opened it and smelled. "Mint..." she whispered, she put one in her hand and put it in her mouth. "Definitely mint."   
"What are you doing?" Grace demanded. Sam turned around she walked right up to Grace. "I know your secret."  
"What?"  
"You've been slowly killing Elijah, replacing his pills with," she blows in Grace's face. "Peppermints."   
She picked up her supplies and started to walk.  
"Don't tell Oswald."  
"Oh I won't, I'm going to wait for him to find out, it'll be fun for me to...watch him snap."  
"But he's rehabilitated, you said so."  
"He is, but I'm not."   
Grace's eyes widened. "What?"  
Sam laughed, "luckily for you I'm not in the mood. Goodbye Grace." She stopped. "Oh and if you tell him I'm still legally insane, I'll gut you and your family." She winked at Grace and left the room. 

 

"Would you like to come to town with me? I must get a roast for dinner tonight, upon Grace's request."   
"I can't Oz, I'm supposed to clean the dining room today, Grace said theres food all over."  
Oswald nodded, he kissed her and left. 

 

Sam spent the day cleaning the room, she was on her hands and knees cleaning the floor with a sponge, Sasha walked in and kicked the bucket over, "oops." She said, Sam twitched but cleaned the mess. 

"Sam could you come in here a moment?" Oswald called. Sam came back in from outside, she left to take Sally for a walk.   
"What is it, Oz?"   
He showed her the bottle.   
"Is that?"  
"The wine from my fathers death."   
"Where was it?"  
"In a drawer."  
"Odd, unless..."   
"Unless what?" But Oswald knew what she was implying. He sniffed it and coughed, then poured it on a plate.   
"Oh dont give it to the dog-" but he gave it to the dog. Sam covered Sally's eyes.   
Sasha and Charles came in the kitchen. "Mother said to remind you of tomorrow's dinner." Oswald glared at them.   
"What's wrong with him?"  
"Who knows? Mother wants a roast."  
"And make it good this time."  
"Yes I will." Oswald whispered, the dog whined, Sam heard a thump, Oswald started laughing. "Is it dead?" She leaned over the counter to see the dog laying there, foaming at the mouth.   
"I was right all along, Grace killed Elijah."   
She looked at Oswald there was a familiar malice in his eyes as well as lust and greed, and other things. Sam smiled, "my baby's back." She leaned against the counter. "How you wanna kill her?"   
"I thought you were fixed."  
"Mm, they can't fix what's not broken."   
Oswald smiled at her.   
"Now, how do we kill the bitch?" She asked again.   
"Oh I think you know."   
Sam gave him a cheshire cat smile. She went to tie Sally somewhere safe and came back to the kitchen, she locked every possible exit. "Sasha, Charles, could you come here for a moment?" Sam called sweetly, "we have a question about tomorrow's menu!"   
Oswald handed Sam a knife. "I'll get Sasha." She whispered.   
They came in the kitchen. "What?"   
Oswald pounced on Charles and started stabbing him. Sasha tried to run. "Where ya goin'?" Sam asked, she growled and wrestled with Sasha, she pressed the blade to her throat and slit it, a good few inches deep. Blood sprayed all over her and she giggled. When they were both dead she turned to Oswald. "Now what?"  
He laughed, "which parts shall we cook?"   
Sam raised an eyebrow, intrigued. 

 

They dressed in their best and served Grace, she tried a bite of each. "How is it?" Oswald asked. "Not to gamey?"   
"Hm, overcooked."   
"Try the other joint." He gave her another piece. Sam stood there with a knowing smile on her face. "Why is she looking at me like that?" Grace asked. "Don't worry about it, now this is much more tender."  
"Mm, the same."  
"Still, beats my slut mother's goulash, no?"   
"Where are the children? Ring the bell again."   
"Hmm, I doubt they'll hear it." He said, Sam stifled a laugh, she couldn't give it away, not yet.  
"You look different." Grace said, "you both do."   
Oswald chuckled, "you noticed. Yes, I'm doing my hair a different way."   
"Charles! Sasha! Where are they?"  
"I found the sherry decanter, Grace. The one with poison in it that you used to kill my father." Sam moved closer to Grace, making the woman feel more uneasy.   
"What on earth are you talking about?"   
"You should have thrown it away! Guess you're a little too mean to waste good poison, huh?"  
Sam slipped a knife from the table and held it in her hand, away from Grace's line of sight. "Or how about the pills, Grace?" Sam questioned, moving so her face was inches from the woman's. "Yes? Remember that? You replaced the pills with mints! You were killing him slowly, but when he wasn't dying fast enough you decided poison was the best route." Grace went to stand up, Oswald picked up a knife and Sam showed her the one in her hand, she sat back down. "Don't go."  
"We're having so much fun."   
"Charles! Sasha! Help!"   
"They won't come."  
"Where are they?"   
"You thought they tasted the same!"   
Grace's lips started trembling. "But Sasha," he stuck his finger in the meat and sucked his finger. "No no no."  
"Definitely more tender, in my opinion."   
She screamed as Oswald stabbed her, Sam joined him. When Grace was dead she threw the knife down, Sam was practically shaking with desire, she nearly pounced on Oswald, he fucked her on the table that night, things were back to normal, if not better. 

Sam gave Oswald a glass of wine, she looked at Grace's corpse, her dead unblinking eyes, tear streaked face and the blood. "What do we do with the body my love?"  
Oswald drank the wine and licked his lips. "I have an idea." 

 

A day went by but Oswald still hasn't moved the body. Sam came in the dining room fixing an earring. "Oswald!" He was watching the television. She walked up to him. "Oswald."  
"Yes?"   
"Move the body, its starting to smell."   
"Yes darling." She kissed him and grabbed her coat and purse. "I'll be back in the morning, I love you."  
"I love you too."   
She met Ally and Carina outside. "Ready?"  
"Oswald's not going to greet us?"  
"No, he's...busy."   
They got into Carina's car.   
Ally found a club she wanted to try so they went, she ordered herself a cosmo, Sam a bourbon and soda and Carina a gimlet. They found a table.   
"This is nice." Sam said. Carina raised her glass, "to officially celebrate Sam's release from Arkham."   
"Here, here!" They toasted Sam, she smiled and sipped her drink.  
"So, how are things with Oswald? From what we heard it sounded good." Sam's mind flashed back to the night of Grace's murder, the blood, Sam naked on the table while Oswald pounded into her. Sam blinked slowly and the music brought her back to the present. "Its good, everything is good." 

Sam came home in the early hours of the morning with shoes in hand, the house was still a mess and Grace's body was still sitting at the table, Sam sighed. She walked up the stairs and found Oswald asleep, she slipped out of her dress, took off her jewelry and let her hair down, she crawled into bed and cuddled up to Oswald.   
In the morning Oswald told Sam to dress nicely, because they were leaving the house today.   
She met him downstairs.   
"You look dashing, as always, love."  
"And you look stunning, as always, my dove." He put her coat on her shoulders and she slipped her arms through, grabbing Sally she put her own coat on, boots, collar and leash. "So where are we going?"  
"Galavan is still alive."  
"How? He's dead?"  
"That's what we thought, but he's alive." Sam smirked. "We going to find him?"  
"Yes."   
"And kill him again?"  
Oswald laughed, "yes."  
"Lead the way."   
They linked arms and left the house. 

They heard that Tabitha was in the hospital so they figured they'd pay her a visit.   
"Hey, you can't bring a dog in here?" The nurse said. Sam smiled sweetly at the woman and played innocent. "Ma'am, she's my husband's service dog, ever since his accident he's been afraid to leave the house because of his leg, cut us some slack, please?"  
The nurse sighed, "alright."  
"Thank you." They entered the elevator. Oswald slipped his hand under her skirt and nipped her ear, "you little minx." He whispered, she moved his hand. "There'll be plenty of time for that later."   
They walked in on Butch crying. "Well don't stop now, I was just getting misty."   
"What are you doing here?"   
"Hiya Butch." Sam said.  
"Hi."  
Oswald showed him the flowers, "paying my respects." He put the flowers on the table. "She's looked better, I must say.   
"You will not hurt her."  
Oswald scoffs, "why would I do that? Oh, I know. Because she stabbed my mother in the back!" Butch took a gun from his jacket and pointed it at Oswald. "If you touch her, I'll kill you, I don't care if your girl is watching." Oswald chuckled.   
"I like this new side of you." Oswald moved around the bed, Butch kept the gun at Oswald's eye level. "Soft, sentimental. He has to pay, Butch."  
"Who? Azrael?"   
"No! Galavan! See, I will not buy this whole über-villain nonsense. I mean if he wanted to wear leather, he should just wear leather. This is Gotham City. No one cares, right?" He chuckled, "we have all suffered by his hand, me, you, Sam because of you, my mother, and now his own sister. Galavan must die."   
Butch lowered the gun. "And when he does, you'll leave us alone."  
Oswald tried to find the words, "mm, I suppose." He chuckled.   
"Promise."   
Oswald scoffs, "jeez. Fine. Yes. Whatever. Where is he?"   
"Well..." Sam started, "his original mission was to kill Bruce Wayne, yes?" The boys both nod, "then where do you think he's gone?"   
There's a collective 'oh'. Sam just laughs, "c'mon." She takes one last look at Tabitha, feeling a little sad but pushed it aside, she did kill Oswald's mother after all.  
They left the hospital. During the drive it was quiet until Butch spoke up. "You know, I don't got nothing against you, Sam." She smiled, "oh I know."  
"Just so we're clear."  
"Yes, Butch thank you, eyes on the road."   
Butch says his first words to Oswald, "you got a real loyal woman there, you better cherish her or you're gonna lose her."   
Oswald chuckled, "I do, always." They smile at each other, Sally starts barking. "Hey, what? What is it?" Sam looks out the window, a squirrel is running along tree branches.   
When they arrived at Wayne manor it was dark and it would appear that all the lights were off. They heard gunshots and Butch parks the car. Sam keeps Sally inside where its warm.   
Butch goes into the trunk and pulls out a rocket launcher. "You just happen to have that on you?" Sam asked.   
"Yes."  
"Okay."   
They walked to the gate, Galavan had his back turned to them and was facing Bruce, Jim and Alfred. Jim was trying to shoot Galavan but the gun was empty. Butch stayed hidden for now.   
"You should know by now that bullets don't kill this monster, Jim." Galavan turned around, Oswald put his umbrella on his shoulder. "My last one got stuck in your throat, so, I'm thinking about shoving this one somewhere else."   
Sam giggled. Galavan raised his sword slowly. "Jim, a little tip for next time. Always bring the right tools for the job. See you in hell, Theo." Butch came around the corner and put the rocket launcher on his shoulder. "Have at it, little darlin'."   
"Oh." Was all Galavan said, Bruce, Alfred and Jim ducked.   
Sam pulled the trigger, Galavan blew up into a pile of nothing, Sam stared at the fire, pleased.   
"You're welcome, lets go Butch, Sam." Oswald held out his arm for Sam and she took it. "That was fun, how about a nice sandwich when we get home?"   
"Sounds great."  
"Mm, but Oswald, sweetheart."  
"Yes?"  
"For gods sake, get rid of Grace, please?"  
Oswald sighed. "Fine."   
"Thank you." They got into the car. 

 

Sam walked in while Oswald was deciding where to put Grace's head. He put her to the side.   
"Oswald."   
"Yes?"   
"That's not what I meant when I said get rid of Grace." She leaned against the table and took a drink. The music was interrupted by the man on the radio. "News on the hour with WTGC, police say reports of an impending raid on Arkham Insane Asylum, and its controversial chief, professor Hugo Strange, are inaccurate. Despite the disclaimers, flurries of police activity around the troubled facility have fuelled-"  
"Hugo Strange, how interesting." Oswald sent Barbara to go find out whats happening at Arkham. In the meantime he had a drink with Sam and Butch, like old times when Butch had to do whatever Oswald said.   
After a while Sam got tired of waiting. "Shouldn't we just go down to Arkham ourselves?"   
"Sam."  
"I know Arkham brings back bad memories but don't you want to get Strange yourself, my love?" Sam said, she used her feminine charm to persuade Oswald into agreement. He did agree and Sam smiled. Butch gathered some of his men and stocked up on weapons. 

They drove to Arkham but found the bus with the monsters and a cruiser under the South Burnside Expressway. Strange had to be on that bus.   
Butch and his men started shooting at the bus, hitting the cruiser too, Sam and Oswald are hiding behind them, the bus drives over cars and stops.   
"Professor Strange! Professor Strange! Come out." He taps the bus with his cane. "Strange, we need to talk, you did a very bad thing to me, and Sam."  
Sam's blood ran cold and she hid behind Butch, it wasn't Strange that came out of the bus, it was Fish.  
Oswald didn't see her, he was still trying to coax Strange out of the bus but he wasn't onboard. Fish blew behind Oswald and he turned around, Sam never would have thought she'd ever see Oswald look so terrified, but he was.   
"Impossible." He whispered. Fish tutted, she grabbed his face.   
"Nothing is impossible."  
Oswald fainted, hitting the ground hard. Fish turned around, she winked at Butch, his men and himself ran back to the cars. Sam went to see if Oswald was okay, she put his head in her lap.   
"Fish...you're supposed to be dead." She whispered.   
"I was, but Strange brought me back." With that she left. Sam saw an old woman go up to the bus, "oh, those poor souls." She went to open the door.   
"Ma'am! I would strongly advise against that." Sam said, but she opened the door anyway. "Oh for fucks sake." The creatures came out of the bus, growling and hissing, Sam didn't look, she didn't very well want to, instead she kept her attention on Oswald.   
Oswald woke up after a while. "Sam? What happened?" He got up, Sam's round eyes were full of horror. "Sam?" He touched her face, "hey, what happened?"   
"Well...Fish knocked you out and-and this old woman came by and she-she let all the monsters out."   
"Monsters?"  
"Oswald...that wasn't people on the bus."


	12. Author's note.

I'm sorry for the delay, I've been busy with school and, I sort of haven't been around, mentally in a depressed loop.   
I'm currently dealing with an ear infection, but I'm working on a new chapter and it will be up soon. :)   
-Cayla


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tbh I don't know what's happening in this story anymore...its just happening.  
> This story is a mess, just like my life.

Sam convinced Oswald to actually get rid of Grace's head, they had to get rid of the table after.  
Sam thought that it was the head that made her feel so sick but that wasn't the case, she was actually pregnant, Oswald took it as a joke at first but she was completely serious and he fainted, when he came too he still wasn't keen on a baby but Sam told him how great it would be and how he'll be an amazing father, he warmed up to the idea quickly. Oswald would lay awake at night and look over at Sam's sleeping form and her empty fingers, that's when he got the idea, he wanted to marry her, to set an example for their child. He asked the question casually over breakfast and Sam was beyond excited, they kept it hush and went to city hall but Oswald promised they would have a proper ceremony one day but Sam said that this was more then enough, she was married to the only person she'd ever loved and they were having a baby, life was perfect, sort of.  
But monsters ran rampant on the streets, Oswald didn't let her go into town without him or Gabe or Butch, fearing what would happen to their unborn child. They haven't told anyone about the pregnancy not Jim or Ed or Ally, no one knew but Gabe and Butch.  
At 5 months she had to go for an ultrasound, they wanted to know the sex and if everything was running smoothly, and it all seemed fine, they were having a baby boy.  
This excited Sam and she couldn't wait to go home and show Oswald the picture, but she went and bought paint for the nursery and blue accessories to balance the white of the furniture.  
Oswald was reading the paper when she came home. She snuck up behind him and put the picture in front of his face. He stared at the ultrasound picture. "Is that?"  
"Our son."  
"Son? We're having a boy?" He asked looking up at his wife.  
"Uh-huh." She sat on his lap and he discarded the paper and rubbed her belly. "I have Gabe painting the room."  
Sally yapped at Sam's feet and she laughed, "I can't bend down to pick you up." She got off Oswald and he picked up the dog for Sam.  
"Have you thought of a name?" Oswald asked going back to his paper.  
"Magnus." She said without a second thought. "Magnus Elijah Cobblepot."  
Oswald looked at her in amazement. "You would put my father in his name?"  
"Of course, I know how much he meant to you and he was a good man, so why wouldn't I?"  
"I love you." He said and she smiled, giving him a kiss before heading upstairs. 

One month later. 

"I've decided to run for mayor." Oswald said one morning. Sam looked up from her book and smiled, "is that where you've been sneaking off too? Well, that and looking for Fish, but mayor, wow."  
He laughed and she kissed his cheek. "That's amazing, baby. I'm proud of you."  
He smiled and grabbed her hand, "how about you show me the nursery?"  
"Again?"  
"Again."  
"Okay."  
The nursery was white and blue and a modern contrast to the rest of the house.  
"Its amazing."  
Sam clapped her hands pleased that he liked it. He rubbed her bump and kissed her forehead. "Don't you have a campaign to run? Mr. Mayor?" She asked while straightening his tie.  
He smiled and took his leave. Sam was proud of her husband. She left the nursery and took a nap.  
She woke up in the late night to Oswald peppering kisses on her shoulder, she turned over and propped herself up into a sitting position, "how is the witch hunt for Fish going??" Oswald hummed and crawled into bed, "lets not talk about that, let it just be you and me and Magnus."  
She shimmied back down into bed, "okay, just us three." 

She watched him get ready, "are you sure you don't want to come with me to see Ed?"  
"No I'm okay, I need to spend time with Sally anyway, I think she's feeling a little neglected."  
Oswald buttoned his blazer and kissed her before grabbing the present for Ed and leaving the manor.  
Sam took Sally to the pet store and picked out toys and doggy clothes and a new bed to put inside the nursery.  
Oswald came back in the late afternoon, Sam had to go out and buy groceries for dinner so she took Butch with her. 

"Sam."  
She turned around to see Jim walking towards her in a leather jacket, a woman not far behind him. Sam moved the paper grocery bag down further to cover the bump.  
"Hey Jimmy."  
"Have you seen Selina?"  
Sam shook her head, "no, no I haven't, I actually don't leave the house much anymore, Oswald is worried about the monsters."  
Jim pointed to the ring on her finger. "Engaged?" He asked forcing a smile.  
"No." Sam lied, "it just goes with the outfit." She pulled at her grey sweater. "Anyway if I see Selina I'll let you know." She put the bag of groceries in the trunk and Jim walked away, Sam got into the passengers side and they drove back.  
"That was close."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Could you imagine what would happen if Jim found out that I was pregnant? Scratch that, pregnant and married?"  
"Your right, he'd kill Oswald."  
"Mm-hm exactly."  
When they got home Sam got started on the vegetable stew, she smiled when she heard Oswald's uneven footsteps behind her, he snaked his arm around her waist and held her bump in his hands. As crazy as they are, she lives for these domestic moments with Oswald. Where she cooks and he reads the newspaper in the mornings.  
"It smells great."  
"Thank you, how's the campaigning going?"  
"I have a speech tomorrow in Gotham."  
"I really am proud of you, Mayor Cobblepot."  
"I can get used to you saying that, Mrs. Cobblepot."  
Sam hummed, "and I love it when you call me Mrs. Cobblepot." 

 

"Any word on Fish?" Sam asked, putting the dishes away.  
"Yes, in fact I'm heading out right now."  
"Be safe."  
"Always." 

 

Oswald came back upset.  
"Did you kill her?"  
"I let her go." He said, slumping down in his chair.  
"What? Why?"  
Oswald pulled her onto his lap.  
"She said something to me, she said, 'he understands what it is to bring something into being. It is a part of you, forever.' And I thought about Magnus, and I let her go."  
Sam smiled and nuzzled into his shoulder. "C'mon, lets go to bed, hm?"  
"Yes, lets." 

Sam watched Oswald get ready like she does every morning, theres just something about the way he puts on his suits.  
"What's on the menu today?"  
"The former mayor James is hosting a conference outside city hall this morning. It is where I will officially announcing my candidacy."  
Sam smiled and got out of bed, she kissed his shoulder, "you'll do amazing." She said, going into the bathroom.  
She did her daily routine of cleaning up, a bit of laundry and a little tv, she was feeling a bit tired so she went to sleep, when she woke up the house was full of people running phones and there were election banners and balloons everywhere.  
She saw Oswald round the corner and started tapping her foot.  
"Hello my love...oh you're not happy."  
"Why are these people in our home?"  
"Their my campaign team."  
"I get that but why are they in our home? Couldn't you have bought a building for your base of operations, I mean this is our house, and the stress in the room is not good for me or Magnus." She put her hand on the bump, Oswald smiled and put his hand on top of hers. "My love I assure you that this is only temporary."  
Sam huffed, "they better not get in the way of my tv when I'm watching the Bachelor or Survivor or Top Chef or Dancing With The Stars or So You Think You Can Dance or-"  
"I get it! I get it. They will not get in the way of your television, I will make sure of that."  
"Thank you."  
"Anyway my love, now that the city is safe, how about we go out to eat? Just us."  
"I'd like that very much, I'll go get ready." 

Sam waited in the car while Oswald met with Aubrey James.  
Dinner was sweet and quiet, Oswald decided not to drink because he didn't want to drink alone and he needed to be mentally grounded for the election.  
In the early morning he found Sam sitting alone in the living room dipping pickles in spicy mustard while watching reruns of Big Brother.  
"Sweetheart?" He asked sitting next to her. "What are you doing?"  
"I got hungry, besides, Magnus has been moving around nonstop all night." Sam shifted and put the jars on coffee table and grabbed Oswald's hand, putting it on the side of her belly. "What are you?"  
"Wait."  
Magnus kicked into his hand and he laughed. "He's really moving in there."  
"More so now that your here."  
"I'm going to go see Ed."  
"What for? Its early."  
"I'm going to get him out of Arkham."  
"How?"  
"Don't worry my love, I have my ways."  
"Be careful." She went back to watching her tv.  
Oswald came home in the evening with Ed freshly released from Arkham, Sam was sleeping on the couch, the credits from what Oswald assumed to be an 80s movie was rolling on the tv.  
She woke up to Sally barking at Oswald, she sat up carefully, mindful of the bump. "Ozzie?" She said, rubbing her eyes.  
"Hello, what were you watching?"  
"Ghostbusters."  
"Ah."  
"Hey Ed."  
"Miss Gordon."  
"Mrs. Cobblepot." She corrected.  
"You got married?" Ed questioned, turning to Oswald.  
"And we're having a baby."  
Ed smiled, "a lots changed around here."  
"Yes it has, but welcome back." She stood up to hug Ed. "Would you like a cup of tea?"  
"Yes, please."  
Sam left for the kitchen.  
"How far along is she?"  
"She's due in two months, we found out when she was a month along."  
"Boy or girl?"  
"Boy."  
"I'm happy for you, Oswald." 

 

The election took a month to draw to a close.  
Sam woke up and peppered Oswald's face with kisses.  
"Stop it."  
"Its election day Mr. Mayor."  
"Mm but cant I stay in bed with you?"  
"As much as I'd like that, no. You have a busy day today." Sam crawled out of bed and went to dress for the day, maternity sheath dress and cardigan, with simple jewelry, her current state didn't really fit with her grunge aesthetic.  
She sat and watched a lady talk about the election.  
"Sam, we need to go."  
She turned off the tv and joined Oswald, Butch and Ed. "Your hair looks good like that." She said and smoothed it back more. He smiled and they linked arms.  
"You are aware that the bump will be on camera."  
"I am aware."  
"Are you okay with this?"  
"Jim was gonna find out sooner or later." 

Sam stood with Ed and listened to Oswald give a speech.  
"My mother always believed in me. Even when I doubted myself, she held firm. Seeing all of your bright faces reminds me that there is nothing you cannot do if you put your mind to it. And when I am mayor, I believe...no, I know that together we will make Gotham safe again!" The room burst into applause and Sam watched Ed leave, but stayed where she was, when Oswald was finished addressing the crowd he joined Sam and placed a kiss on her temple, ignoring the flashing of cameras.  
Sam wasn't feeling her best and decided to go home.  
Once at home she made h'orderves for the elect party for that night and took a nap after. She sat down and was feeling slight cramping and pressure on her back, but shook it off because of the slight stress and excitement about the election.  
They all piled into the house in the evening. Sam was talking with Ed, she groaned and put a hand on her hip.  
"Are you alright?"  
"Yes, I'm fine."  
"I'll get you a chair."  
"Thank you."  
When she was sitting they resumed the conversation but the discomfort didn't let up. Oswald walked up to them. "This is it, the moment I've been waiting for." He reached for Sam's hand and she squeezed it weakly. "My dear, are you alright?"  
"Yes, just tired."  
"Well if you want to go up to bed, I-"  
"No, no of course not, I want to be here when you win."  
He smiled and kissed her and kept holding her hand.  
"You!" Sam turned towards Butch who stormed towards Oswald, bumping into the chair causing Sam to stand up. "You ruined everything!" He slammed Ed up against the wall.  
"Butch, release him this instant! What is going on?"  
"I'll tell you whats going on. He just cost you the election. He went to every district official and took the money back. Said you wanted to run a clean election."  
"Tell me this is not true."  
"I'm afraid Butch is right for once." Butch tightened his grip on Ed's throat.  
"Why? After everything I've done for you. Everything we could have done together. You betrayed me. Butch." At that Butch pulled out his gun and aimed it as Ed, Sam squeaked in alarm.  
"Give me one reason as to why I shouldn't let Butch kill you where you stand."  
"Well there are about 30 witnesses-"  
"I don't care!"  
Sam jumped at Oswald's sudden outburst and felt the cramping again. The sound of clapping erupted from the tv. "And then there's that."  
"In what can only be viewed as a seismic shift even by Gotham's standards, former underworld kingpin Oswald Cobblepot has one the mayors office by a landslide."  
"I still won." He turned quickly to Sam who pushed away all feelings of discomfort and smiled at her husband.  
"I knew it!"  
He pulled her into a hug and kissed her face a dozen times before remembering Ed and everyone else.  
"They really want me as mayor."  
"Yes."  
"I cant be bought, but I can be stolen with one glance. I'm worthless to one." Ed held up a finger. "But priceless to two." Ed made a heart in the air. "Love." Oswald pushed Butch's hand down.  
"They love me."  
"If you would have bought the election, you would've never known. But now you do. Feels good doesn't it?"   
Sam felt tired and completely out of energy so she retired early and slipped away from the party.

 

Oswald joined her in bed during the late evening, and wrapped his arm around her belly. She smiled in sleep and moved closer to Oswald.  
She woke up facing Oswald.  
"Good morning Mr. Mayor."  
"Good morning Mrs. Cobblepot."  
Sam smiled but groaned in discomfort, "I think I'm going to stay in bed for a while longer, and before you say anything you have mayor stuff to do."  
"I-"  
"Don't argue with me."  
"Yes, my love."  
Sam curled back up into a ball with the pillow between her knees.  
She came down when Oswald showed her the statue of his mother.  
"What do you think?"  
"Its wonderful. She'd love it."  
Oswald noticed her discomfort. "Are you alright?"  
"Yeah, he's just...moving around."  
Oswald bent down awkwardly to kiss her belly and then kiss her.  
"I hope I'm not interrupting." Ed asked, Sam smiled and stepped from Oswald.  
"Not at all, I was just about to watch a movie." Sam in a word, waddled out of the room. 

She stayed in the living room while Oswald had his meeting regarding the attack on him and the statue of his mother. 

Sam felt wetness run down her thighs and onto the floor, she knew Oswald would be busy with his party so she called Gabe who drove her to Gotham General.  
"Mrs. Cobblepot." The nurse greeted. "What can I help you with?"  
"My water broke."


End file.
